


Everyday Is A Winding Road

by Celeste38



Series: Everyday Is A Winding Road [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Asexuality, Coming of Age, Coping, Discovering yourself, Family, Family Feels, Fitting In, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Growing Up, Healing, Healthy Relationships, Loss, Moving On, Older Characters, Panromantic, Parent and Child Bonding, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery, Sibling Bonding, Slice of Life, dealing with family, finding yourself, life and death, parenting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2018-10-16 18:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 107,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10577103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celeste38/pseuds/Celeste38
Summary: The TCRI mission was a success. The Kraang portal was destroyed, and in the days that followed its destruction the alien empire fell. The world has greatly changed in the wake of the failed invasion, and Mikey must learn to navigate in it. Walking through life's highs and lows, as he crosses the bridge from adolescence into adulthood. Finding himself along the way. Nick/2012 TMNT- Alt S1 Finale.





	1. Then And Now

**Author's Note:**

> I originally began publishing this story on FanfictionNet on May 1, 2016. After a lot of debate, I've finally decided to try out AO3 (because I really do love the tagging system here and the concept of the kudos/like button), which is why this is only beginning to be uploaded here now.
> 
> I've poured my heart and soul into this story, and it's been quite an experience writing it. 
> 
> I'm very proud of this story, and I hope that it speaks to those of you that read it and that you all enjoy it.
> 
> Just to warn you, you're in for a long ride!
> 
> Feedback is greatly appreciated! :)

" _...hurry up and get out of here, little brother! Go! Now!_ "

Tired baby blue eyes opened as Michelangelo's mind resurfaced into consciousness. The urgent command that had jolted him awake had, he foggily realized, simultaneously snuffed out any recollection of what had been occurring in the dream itself. He remained still, gazing up at the ceiling of his dark bedroom and struggling for a few minutes to conjure up the images that had previously flooded his dreamscape. It was a wasted effort. They were vivid, that much he did recall, but whatever it was he had been dreaming about was now lost. Vanquished the moment Raphael's words had shot through his mind.

A slight tremor ran through the young mutant as he lay in the darkness. It was only when his heartbeat had steadied, and he blinked away the moisture in his eyes, that he felt ready to get up and start the day.

His mind slipped into autopilot as he pulled back the covers, got out of bed even as the temptation to sleep a little longer tugged at him, and went into his morning routine. On went the bathrobe and slippers. Off he shuffled to the old chest at the base of his bed, once filled with old childhood treasures, to select the outfit for the day. Then out through his bedroom door he went and across the Lair to the bathroom. There he took a quick shower, with cold water to snap his mind fully into wakefulness, and then he proceeded to put on his half-heartedly selected attire: baggy tan khaki's paired with a white long-sleeved shirt, completed with an orange bandana that wrapped over the top of his head and was tied in a secure knot at the back of his neck. He liked the feeling of something draped over his bald head like this, and made a mental note to buy more bandanas later so he could have more of a variety to play with aside from his traditional look in orange. He would always love that color though.

It was only after applying the finishing touches, a little bit of makeup for his face, that he finally emerged from the bathroom and made a beeline for the kitchen.

"Awwww, yeah! It's grub-makin' time!" He sang cheerfully as he strolled over to the fridge to look at his food selection and decide what he wanted to incorporate into this morning's breakfast. Eggs, Wensleydale cheese, blueberries, strawberries. "Oh man, put together that would make a really awesome omelet," he murmured. His mouth watered as he thought of the potential tasty outcome of such a combination. "Booyeah, making omelets it is!" He checked the freezer to see if there were any sausage links left, and grinned with delight to see that there was more than enough for him to cook up. Then he snatched up the remaining oranges from the bottom tier of the hanging fruit basket next to the fridge and put them aside on the counter. He decided, after a brief moment of debate, that since there were enough of them to fill a pitcher he'd just juice them for the morning beverage.

He cracked the necessary amount of eggs into a mixing bowl, and quickly whisked them until the yolks were perfectly blended with the whites. Once he was satisfied with that, he put the bowl aside and moved on to the berries. Washing them and drying them with care. He plucked off the stems and leaves from the generous handful of strawberries before getting to work slicing them up. Once that task was completed, he put aside the end results with the blueberries until the giant omelet was ready for them.

The eggs didn't take long to heat up in the pan. And once the bottom looked like it was cooked enough, Mikey flipped it over to let the other side cook. He spread the handfuls of cut up strawberries and blueberries across one half of the omelet, sprinkled a coating of the Wensleydale cheese shavings over the berries as the final touch, and folded the cooked egg over the tasty toppings to heat them. Then, after almost forgetting to do so, he turned down the burner's heat to low so he could peel and squeeze the oranges without fear of overcooking the food or letting it get cold.

The smell that blossomed throughout the Lair was intoxicating.

" _That's the best way to wake folks up_." Mikey thought to himself with a prideful grin, pleased with his handiwork.

Finally, it all came together on the kitchen table. The oranges were juiced and waiting in the pitcher to be poured. The large omelet was completed, divided, and served onto plates. Smelling like heaven. And within a few quick minutes the last of the sausage links were cooked and divided among the plates as well.

It was nearly seven o'clock, and breakfast was served.

Michelangelo was about to go over to the dojo to announce the meal was ready when a little squeak from the pit in the main room caught his attention. His eyes fell on Spike, who was perched on top of the TV he had managed to climb up on. "Oops! Sorry, little dude!" Dashing back into the kitchen, he dug around in the fridge to snatch up the little turtle's breakfast. A few baby spinach leaves, a large strawberry, and three blueberries. "Here ya go buddy!" He laughed as he carried the food over and presented it to his brother's pet.

Spike dug into the strawberry gratefully.

The family cook started to make his way back over to the dojo when he caught a glimpse of the calendar hanging by its entrance. Doing a double take, it took a moment before it registered in his mind what day it appeared to be. "No way!" He exclaimed, sliding over to get a better look. Surprise, mingled with embarrassment and guilt, washed over him when he realized he hadn't misread the calendar.

" _Wow, I can't believe I actually forgot!_ "

After once again dashing into the kitchen to throw some clean and unused pot lids over the dishes on the table to keep the food warm, he ran back to his room to grab his tote bag and tossed the old loose-tea tin containing his earnings inside. Pausing for a moment, he tried to prepare a mental list of what he needed to get. In the process he found himself thinking about how, a year ago, such a thing wasn't even possible.

Thanks to his unofficial job at Murikami's, where he played security guard for the blind man's restaurant at night, Mikey was able to earn enough money every week to get groceries for his family. Originally this was accomplished with April's help, which she would happily do on her way home from school for them once they gave her the money and list of things to get. These days, thanks to the events six months ago, the young mutant was free to roam in the city above to do the shopping himself. While he and his family were truly grateful to their friends in the underground community they were neighbors with for sharing their resources with the Hamato family over the years, it had been so wonderful to be able to buy groceries for themselves after they had befriended April and Mr. Murikami last September.

Before their 15th Mutation Day the family had survived on algae, worms, rats, and whatever Splinter's scattered gardens produced. When times got hard, they turned to their friends in the tunnel community for help: Vincent, Father, and young Jacob. They were the leaders, and were always willing to lend a hand when needed. They shared the resources that were provided to them by their own helpers in 'The World Above'; mainly fruits and vegetables that the grocers among those helpers couldn't sell in their stores, but they were still perfectly fine to eat.

Even though his brothers couldn't remember it themselves, and had repeatedly scoffed at his claim that he could when he seemed so forgetful of other things, Michelangelo did have faint memories of that fateful day they had met the man with the lion-like face.

It was immediately after Yoshi had gotten his new family settled into what would become their much loved home in the old abandoned subway station. It was beginning to get terribly cold at night early that autumn when Vincent had come upon them and offered the young family shelter. He had assured Splinter that there was enough room to spare for them in the section of the old tunnels, and the underground caverns and abandoned structures connected to them, that his community lived in. However; as kind as the offer had been, Mikey remembered Splinter politely rejecting the invitation. He had been fearful that the five of them would appear too outlandish or fearsome for the other members of the tunnel community to accept among them, despite Vincent's own unique appearance. But any help they could get at that time was welcomed, and he did accept the follow up offer their new acquaintance presented him with.

It didn't take long for the lion-faced man to come back with his young son and a trusted friend with some blankets, food, a tool box, and a crate filled with bits and parts that would be needed to get the station mostly operational again. Jacob, who was seven years old at the time, played with the baby mutants. Mouse set out to work on not only getting the heat and electricity running, but setting it up so the city wouldn't detect the station being activated again. And Vincent brewed some tea for Splinter as they talked about their lives. A few days later he provided a helping hand in retrieving the rest of Splinter's things from his abandoned apartment and the storage unit he had been renting. The equipment contained inside was meant for the martial arts school that would never be, but the ninjitsu master didn't have any trouble deciding what to do with it all once getting it back home. In time, when they were old enough, his adopted sons became his pupils.

It was the birth of a wonderful, strong friendship between the two peculiar families. Over the following years they shared resources and knowledge. Donatello had latched onto Mouse as a mentor in all things mechanical. And in time, as his creative genius blossomed, the roles reversed and he began teaching his idol his own ideas. Over time helping the middle-aged man make delightful improvements to the tunnel community's way of living. Alongside Jacob, as he reached his teenage years with a desire to be a doctor like his grandfather, Splinter and Donatello both learned the art of medicine from Father. And, when they weren't discussing their day to day lives and shared experiences of being single fathers over a cup of tea, Splinter would aid Vincent in dealing with any threats made towards the underground community.

" _Once I get an official job, I've gotta save up to get something super awesome for them!_ "Mikey decided, smiling a little as he finished his trip down memory lane. Then he remembered why he had come to his room in the first place, what he hoped to accomplished, and that he needed to get a move on. Dashing back out of his room just as quickly as he had entered it.

He was pretty confident he had enough money left over from this week's earnings to get everything he needed for this morning's project. It was a matter of getting it all, and then getting back home before Splinter finished his meditation session and morning prayers. The young mutant prided himself on being fast, but he wasn't quite convinced he was **that** fast to accomplish his mission in time without detection.

"Where are you off to in such a rush?" A familiar voice asked from the Lair's entrance as Michelangelo hurried back out into the main room.

He had been too busy making a mental list of the places he possibly needed to hit topside, that he didn't notice the girl coming through the turnstiles until she spoke. "Oh, hey Karai! What's up with my favorite big sister?"

"I'm your only sister, you dopey kid." She replied with a warm smirk. Leaning on the turnstile she had just passed through, she redirected her gaze onto the bag he had slung over one shoulder. "Going shopping?"

"Yeah, I gotta grab a few things." He whispered, quickly glancing behind him to make sure the dojo's door was still closed and that there wasn't anyone in the main room or kitchen to overhear him. "I, uh, kinda lost track of the days. You mind keeping Sensei busy until I get back and get everything ready? I made enough for breakfast for you to have some too if you haven't eaten yet! You gotta wait until I get back though!"

"I think I can handle that." Karai gracefully pushed herself up and leapt down the steps, landing with ease by her brother's side. With a reassuring smile, she placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded her head in the direction of the Lair's exit. "Food smells good, but I'll do my best to resist it until you get back. Now hurry up and get out of here, little brother!"

Hit with an array of varying emotions at her choice of words, Michelangelo offered her a smile of gratitude back before taking off for the tunnels that would lead him to the surface.

Arriving topside revealed that it was a beautiful Sunday morning. The nautical twilight had already begun to shift into what the young artist had recently learned to define as: the blue hour. The inky blackness of the night had shifted into dark blue directly above the early risers of the bustling metropolis. On the horizon, peeking between the skyscrapers surrounding them, the pink and orange hues of the sunrise began painting the sky. Clouds were slowly creeping in, but they only added to the beautiful showcase that nature was providing them with. While the warming temperature, closing in on 60 degrees, enhanced the tranquility of the late September morning.

Once the young mutant got over being awestruck, as always, by the sight of the wonderful sunrise, he began to make his way to the closest market that was open that early in the morning. His mind was elsewhere for most of the walk. Thinking about the thens and nows in his life.

Bustling down the sidewalks, and driving through the busy streets around him, there were mutants and humans alike. While it was once an unimaginable sight, it was completely normal in New York City these days. It had been the everyday norm ever since the fall of the Kraang six months eariler. A couple of weeks after Michelangelo and his brothers infiltrated the TCRI building and successfully destroyed the Kraang's transmat portal device. Their actions had put the aliens invasion scheme on a standstill, until the mutant breakout exposed the whole thing to the public and the Kraang where finally taken down permanently.

As he was about to cross the street, glancing both ways to be sure it was safe, he caught sight of the old TCRI building in the distance. His heart suddenly began to pound, and he stopped in his tracks. Staring at the haunting structure that peeked menacingly back at him between the skyscrapers that filled the gap between the two. The sign had been replaced, and the top floor had been rebuilt since the explosion, but he would always see it for what it used to be. No matter how much John Bishop dressed it up since he moved in.

A horn blaring, accompanied by some colorful words that Michelangelo was sure Raphael would appreciate, snapped the young mutant's attention back to his surroundings. He flushed with embarrassment when he realized that, in his distraction, he had almost walked out in front of the still-swearing driver.

"S-sorry!" He yelped, jumping backward and back onto the sidewalk.

The driver, a middle-aged man with messy black hair and face beet red with rage, didn't seem to be in the forgiving mood. "Go back to the zoo, you dumb animal!" He screamed out the passenger window as he hit the gas and continued on his way.

Still embarrassed, and feeling a little weird, Michelangelo remained still on the sidewalk as other humans and mutants pushed passed him to cross the street.

His grip on the handles of the tote bag tightened, and he found it almost frightfully difficult to unclench his fists. It was as if his hands were being paralyzed. His forced his eyes, which had unconsciously found their way back to the old TCRI building, to stare down at his feet instead. Then he closed them and did his best to focus. Focus on his breathing. Focus on his heartbeat. He took a slow, deep breath. Held it. Then exhaled it just as slowly. Relief blossomed within him as his heartbeat, quieting in his ears, began to slow down to its regular rhythm. As he felt his fingers begin to loosen and his fists slowly unclench. He was starting to feel grounded again.

"Hey, kid. You okay?"

He opened his eyes, and turned to look at the person who had come to his aid. The concerned stranger was another human, older than the one who had been screaming at Mikey earlier, who had a gray balbo-syled beard and matching gray hair that had grown white at the temples. His warm eyes sought out and locked with Mikey's own. They radiated with nothing but genuine concern.

"Um...yeah." Mikey murmured when he realized he hadn't answered the old man's question. "Yeah, I'm good. I was just a little rattled, that's all." He hoped the smile he plastered onto his face looked as laid back as he wished he could feel right now.

The man, now smiling with satisfaction, seemed convinced enough. "Well, don't let it get to you." He reassured with a friendly couple of pats to Mikey's shoulder. "People drive like maniacs in this city, and I've seen my fair share of pedestrians deliberately walk into oncoming traffic to cross the street around here with much angrier reactions. Just be a little more careful next time, that's all."

"Okay."

They parted ways. The man resuming his trek to wherever it was he had been going to, and Mikey continuing on his way to the market to get his last minute shopping done. The rest of the trip there proved to be uneventful. And, much to his relief, the store wasn't crowded and had everything he was looking for. Into the basket it all went, and over to the register he strolled.

He made friendly small talk with the canine mutant at the register, while eyeballing the soda selection in the beverage fridge to his right as she rang up his things. After shifting back and forth on his feet, going 'eenie, meenie, miney, moe' in his head, he finally snatched up a bottle of 'Olde Brooklyn Coney Island Cream Soda' for himself, and a bottle of 'Stewart's Key Lime Soda' for Karai, and placed them on the counter just as the last of the original items was being scanned in. The final cost of everything was cutting it pretty close, but Mikey was able to afford all of it. Giving a friendly wave goodbye to his fellow mutant, he placed his groceries in the tote bag and quickly made his way home with no further unwelcome incidents.

He resisted the urge to open up his own soda to drink on his way back. Reminding himself that he hadn't eaten his breakfast yet, which he had already prepared juice for. Plus, he was hoping Karai would let him split her soda with him, and then he could split his soda with her. He knew for a fact that the idea of sharing the beverages was less likely to be approved by his sister if he had already taken a sip from his bottle. While he had no issues sharing food that someone else had taken a bite of already, or drink from someone else's cup after they had already taken a sip themselves, he knew Karai was a bit of a germaphobe and would not be keen on the idea one bit.

Thankfully this aspect of his sister's personality wasn't something he had to learn the hard way. It was just something he had observed about her as she spent more and more time visiting with Splinter in the Lair over the past few months. If Mikey took a sample of something he was cooking to taste and offered for her to try some, she would always decline to use the same fork or spoon as him. Instead, she'd pluck out clean utensils from the drawer and then helped herself. But other than that she was not at all hesitant to dig in to whatever wild dish he whipped up. Unlike his brothers, who would always make faces at whatever Mikey had made and would be extremely reluctant to even try a bite, Karai proved to be just as fearless about trying new foods as Mikey was.

He adored having her as his older sister, and was glad that she had learned to look past the lies Shredder had told her in favor of giving her biological father a chance and getting to know him.

Not that there was much Shredder could do to stop her from bonding with her birth father. To everyone's relief, Saki Oroku was currently spending a life sentence in federal prison with no chance of ever being released. As Mikey had been told after everything had gone down; Karai had discovered the truth about her parentage the night of the TCRI mission, a few hours after Splinter himself had learned who she really was. She was, very understandably, both devastated and enraged by the revelation and had disappeared for two weeks. Then the Kraang were exposed by the mutant breakout from one of their other facilities in the city. Agent John Bishop led his Earth Protection Force into New York City to take them down, and that's when Karai returned. Presenting the agent, as his men rounded up the aliens, with the damning evidence that proved her adoptive father had helped the Kraang to satisfy his own needs. Considered a traitor to all humanity, he was locked up and the Foot Empire fell.

It took sixteen years, but he finally paid the price for Tang Shen's murder.

" _At least that arrest is one thing Bishop can honestly take credit for..._ " Mikey thought to himself. He had justifiably mixed feelings about the government agent, but he would always be grateful to him for helping Karai put a stop to the man that had hurt their family so much.

"Father's still doing his thing." Karai informed him once he had returned home and had gone into the kitchen. He had to admit, it was still weird hearing her call Splinter that even though she had been doing so for nearly a month now. "You have no idea how much torture it was to smell this for the last ten minutes!" She lifted a lid off of one of the plates, and Michelangelo was surprised to discover that the food was still giving off a light steam.

He plucked her soda bottle from out of his tote bag and waved it teasingly at her. "I didn't forget to get you a reward for good behavior," he replied with a grin. Taking out his own soda as he strode to the fridge to place the glass bottles inside to be drunk later in the day. He put the quart of milk in next to them, and then closed the door. Scooting over to the cabinets next to the fridge to deposit the rest of the items from his bag. He would get started on the project after breakfast was eaten and the kitchen was cleaned.

While Mikey quickly microwaved the food that had gotten a little cold, Karai went to the dojo to announce her arrival in the Lair and to declare that breakfast was ready. It was a silent meal, but a pleasant one. Everyone loved how the omelet had turned out. It was definitely something the young cook would be making again down the road.

" _I wonder if April would like it?_ "

The others, after complimenting his cooking and thanking him for making breakfast, excused themselves from the table when they finished eating. Splinter was eager to begin Karai's training session, and watched with fatherly pride as she twirled the tessan he had made for her. Michelangelo tore his eyes away from the pair as they headed for the dojo, and decided that he would hold off on starting his project for at least an hour. After cleaning the kitchen, he wandered over into the pit of the main room and flopped himself down in front of the TV. Channel surfing, without really paying much attention to what the limited stations they could get a signal for had to offer. His thoughts had shifted to April again, and he couldn't help the hurt he was feeling.

"Not today...", he mumbled to himself. Irritably, he clicked off the TV and wandered over to the arcade game to play a round of that instead. Seeing Leo's high score was still in place, he wondered if he could beat it. An hour later he was back in the kitchen pulling out all of the bowls, pans, and ingredients he needed. He took out the recipe he had printed from a cooking blog he followed online, and read over the list one last time to make sure he had everything he needed. Then he dove right into his work.

He was putting the icing on the cake when his father and sister returned to the kitchen. They had been drawn back into the room in their quest for water to quench their thirst now that the training session was done.

"My son," Splinter said softly as he took in the sight of the perfect looking dessert. "Is this the secret you were trying to conceal this morning?"

Sheepishly smiling, Michelangelo nodded his head as he took a step back to admire his work. "I didn't want you to know, in case I did it wrong and had to take out the one from the store. The backup cake's hidden in the top cabinet," he admit as he handed the butter knife to his father. "It doesn't look like I screwed it up, so I think it's safe to cut. Do you want to do the honors?"

Teary-eyed, Yoshi grinned down at his son as he accepted the utensil. Delicately slicing into the soft vanilla cake, and giving a piece to each of his children. As they had done with breakfast, the small family enjoyed the fruits of Michelangelo's labor in pleasant silence.

Then the young mutant collected the untouched slices and carried them into the dojo. Laying them in a line in front of the shrine Splinter had created for the family he had lost in Japan sixteen years ago. There was a new photograph on the altar now.

"Hey Raph, remember how excited you were last year when you thought I had pulled off making a real cake?" Mikey asked, a bittersweet smile quivering on his face as he looked up from the plates to stare at the photograph of his brothers that had been added to the shrine six months ago. "Well...I did it for real this time!"

He bowed in front of the two framed photographs with tears glistening in his eyes.

The date on the calendar read September 29th, 2013.

"Happy Mutation Day."


	2. Connections

**Wednesday October 16, 2013**

"Here ya go, Hamato."

Michelangelo blinked, confused, when an envelope with tear away sides was suddenly shoved in front of his face as he was walking over to one of the vending machines to snag a soda. "What's this?"

"It's your paycheck, you nimrod!" His boss, Louie, barked while moving on to the next cabbie to hand them theirs. After a moment he glanced back at the mutant with a nasty smirk of amusement. "How did you think you were going to get paid?"

The teenager shrugged casually, hiding how flustered he really felt as he tore off the sides and unfolded the paper to reveal the fruits of his labor as a New York City cab driver. "Maybe cash?" He replied, trying to sound as if he was just joking around. The truth was he had never seen a paycheck before. In the past year that he had worked for Mr. Murakami, the blind man had always just given him cash. "So...um..." Mikey glanced nervously around at his fellow drivers, most of whom weren't paying attention to the awkward moment the mutant was currently trapped in, and hesitated to pose the question burning in his mind next. He knew he was going to regret asking anything, but the words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself. "What do I do with it?"

His boss, flabbergasted by the innocent question, spun around dramatically and stared at the young cabbie in disbelief. His reaction drew in the attention of a few of the newer drivers, while the older ones just rolled their eyes at his antics. Louie DePlama may have softened a little since the 70s, but his well-known mean streak still flourished over the years. With a wicked smile growing on his face, and an unpleasant chuckle to accompany it, Louie waddled his way back over to the turtle. "You're joking, right?"

Feeling even more embarrassed, Michelangelo shoved the check into his pants pocket and put on a playful air as he strode back over to the cards table and snatched his jacket off of the chair he had been sitting in moments before. Throwing it on, and winking at the short human as he passed by him. "Yeah, haha. Totally." Promptly forgetting about the soda he had been craving, he made his way towards the exit. "Gotta go! Later, boss!"

As he made his way down the hall, he could faintly hear Louie's mocking remarks to anyone who would listen. He felt his eyes sting as he quickened his pace; plastering a carefree grin onto his face, and doing his best to ignore the insulting laughter of his peers who shared Louie's brand of humor. With each stride forward, it faded in the distance.

It was a relief to get outside, into the welcoming light of the late afternoon sun, and he wandered off aimlessly. He was more preoccupied with getting away, than with any particular destination.

The encounter bothered Michelangelo a lot more than he was expecting it to, and he didn't understand why. He was used to being insulted and treated like an idiot. When his brothers were still alive they made a point of reminding him, often, whether they meant to or not, of how stupid they thought he was. But he was always able to brush that off with a carefree smile.

They were right, after all. He wasn't oblivious to the fact that he had a hard time understanding things that came easily to his brothers, or that he had difficulty retaining stuff that his brothers had no problem remembering. They were always so much more worldly and knowledgeable than him. And whenever they teased him for it, or mocked his wild imagination and occasionally gullible nature, he always wrote it off as just something brothers did. No harm done. Heck, he threw back a few teasing remarks of his own when the opportunity presented itself to him. Occasionally he pranked them good if they really hurt his feelings. But this was different. In some ways, this hurt more. And after a moment, he realized why.

When he was around his new coworkers, he was very careful of what he said. Listening to their conversations, and only speaking up if he was absolutely certain he knew what he was talking about. He didn't want people to constantly look down on him as some flighty idiot, like his brothers had done to him his entire life. He wanted to be liked and respected by everyone else. He wanted to enjoy the fresh start that life had presented him with, when he found himself working alongside people who didn't know a thing about him. It was an opportunity to try and present himself in a better light, and he was desperate to hide his stupidity from his peers.

" _Well, that's not such a secret anymore. Everybody's figured that out now!_ " He thought bitterly, as he zipped up his jacket and shoved his hands into his pants pockets. His fingers brushed up against the envelope, and he debated over what to do. He was afraid to ask anyone else for help. What if his question was as stupid as Louie's reaction painted it to be? Mikey assumed his father thought little of his capability for intelligence, but didn't want to get visual or verbal confirmation of that suspicion. And he definitely didn't want Karai to develop that opinion of him either if she hadn't come to that conclusion about him yet. Naturally, that ruled out Ryan as well. His best friend was currently on tour, but they talked on the phone all the time. Right now the band leader had surprisingly high praise of him, thanks to the events surrounding the birth of their friendship. He really didn't want to taint that if he could help it.

"If you don't know which bank you want to use, might I make a suggestion?"

Michelangelo glanced over his shoulder, back the way he had come from, and was surprised to see one of his older human coworkers approaching him. "Uh, yeah. Sure, that would be totally rad!"

"I use the Bank of America on Broadway. Nice people there. They're easy to talk to, and very helpful. They'll get you set up with an account to deposit that check into, nice and easy." The man informed him with a friendly smile, glancing in the direction they would need to go to get there. "I need to deposit my own check, actually. Mind if I walk there with you? Or were you planning on taking care of your check some other day?"

Grinning back with gratitude, and eager to continue the friendly conversation, Mikey nodded in agreement. "Lead the way, dude!"

The man chuckled warmly at his excitement, and started off. He waved his hand for the teenager to follow him. "Don't let Louie get to you, kid. He thrives off of being a jerk. How he managed to find himself such a nice wife is beyond me." He presented an open hand to the teenager as they walked. "The name's Alex, by the way. Alex Rieger. I've seen you around at the garage the past week or so, but I don't think I've caught your name yet."

"Michelangelo Hamato," the mutant eagerly supplied. Snatching the offered hand and shaking it enthusiastically. Just as he had seen people do often in the small variety of movies and TV shows he had been blessed to watch growing up. "But everyone calls me Mikey!"

"That's an interesting combination of cultures," observed Alex. "Is your last nameJapanese?"

"Yeah, Sensei's from Japan. He moved here in the late 90s, and bought me and my bros as pets after he got settled." Michelangelo explained, feeling at ease with the older human and unafraid of talking about his upbringing with him. "He named us after the Renaissance artists he liked before we were mutated, but I've always wondered if he would have gone for Japanese names instead if he had known he'd be raising us as his kids instead of us just being his pets."

"So, you've been a mutant your entire life?" Alex asked, surprised by the revelation. "There weren't any mutant sightings until this past year, not even among us cabbies. And we've all seen our fair share of unusual things driving these streets, believe me!" The old time cabbie remarked with a laugh, as his own playlist of Greatest Bizarre Moments ran through his mind. "The way I understand it, those Kraang kept things under lockdown pretty well until they started gearing up to make their move to invade us and got sloppy. At least, that's how the media tells it. If you were mutated when you were a baby, then how did your, uh, Sensei keep you a secret this whole time? Wouldn't his neighbors have been curious about children who never left the apartment? Did he tell folks you and your brothers were photosensitive or something?"

"Well, he got mutated too; into a rat, not another turtle like us." Michelangelo explained, as he was briefly distracted by a transit bus passing past them with an advertisement for the New York City ballet on it. "He couldn't risk us all being noticed and caught, and decided to take us and go underground." The teen noticed his new friend was about to dive into another question, and decided to beat him to the punch. "We didn't live in the sewers if that's what you're thinking. We just used them to travel underneath the city, and go topside or back underground. Leo figured if we were spotted, that people wouldn't want to follow us if they thought we lived in the smelly sewers. Ha! Anyway, there's a lot of abandoned tunnels under this city, and in a section of them Sensei found a sweet spot to set up our home. He did his best to provide us with food and an education, and if we needed help we had friends nearby who would lend a hand."

"So, you were part of the, uh, World Below? Is that what they call it?" The cabbie asked, wondering if he got the title right. "I never did confirm the name, now that I think about it. I just assumed, since they refer to the city as the World Above, that that's what they called their community."

Mikey's eyes widened, he wasn't expecting to hear that. "You know about them? Are you a Helper?"

Alex shrugged, "I guess I'd be considered one. An old friend of mine, Jim, was." His mind wandered back across the decades, to a collection of years he had always thought fondly of. "One time, in the 80s, I noticed him taking some supplies from his restaurant and putting them in his van. I thought that was weird, since all of it looked perfectly fine, and I asked him about it. Jim, well, he was quite the character." The old cabbie smiled warmly as he remembered his old quirky friend. "He was always doing something crazy, but usually with good intentions. And in typical Jim-fashion, instead of just telling me what he was doing with all that stuff, he took me along for the ride. I helped him unload the van, and give his donation to some homeless folks. On the way back to his restaurant, he told me about the tunnel community and how he helped them whenever he could. Said they were like a commune, and that they had helped him out once a few years earlier, before he became a cabbie. So, I got into the habit of buying supplies here and there. You know...blankets, canned goods, toys around Christmas time, and I'd give it all to him to deliver since he knew them." The man's smile remained, but a little sadder than it had been before. "He died a few years ago, poor guy. I tried to keep up with my part in helping out after that, but his drop off spot was somewhere else by that point and I didn't know who to reach out to so I couldn't really do anything."

Chest swelling with sympathy, Mikey impulsively hugged the older human. "I'm sorry about your friend." He whispered wholeheartedly, knowing all too well what it was like to lose someone.

Laughing lightly at the unexpected gesture of affection, Alex hugged him back. "Thanks, kid." He broke the embrace, blinking away the moisture in his eyes, and started walking again with Mikey glued to his side. "So, uh, I'm right about you and your family being part of that community then?"

"Kiiinda," the mutant replied. "We're neighbors with them, and close friends with the family that leads them. Sensei was kinda uncertain about how the whole community would have reacted to us, so we never completely joined them. But Uncle Vincent's always nearby if we need any help, he's cool like that."

They paused at a crosswalk, and waited alongside a group of seven or eight other humans and mutants for the lights to switch over so they could cross the street.

"Have things changed much since mutants were exposed to the public?" Alex asked after a moment, once they had started walking again. He led his young coworker around a corner, and down another street. "Have your father and brothers come up to the surface too to get jobs like you've done, or are they content with staying below and living life the same way they always have?"

"My brothers would have loved to walk around topside during the day like this, and have jobs, and shop, and experience living a normal life like I've gotten to do." Mikey rambled with misty eyes, as he gestured at the world around them with a sad smile of his own. "But they'll never get to...They died a couple of weeks before the Kraang and mutants were exposed to the public. Which is beyond unfair! Because they saved the world, and they don't even get credit for it!"

The pair stopped walking, as the rest of New York City bustled past them in both directions. The older cabbie stood, respectfully silent, as the young mutant told him everything about the events leading up to that fateful night. Their 15th Mutation Day, when Splinter had allowed them to go topside by themselves for the first time and experience the world that they had been living under in secret their entire lives. About how it all started with Mikey's observation of the Kraang, and how his brothers had brushed off his excited attempts to explain what he had seen until they saw it for themselves. How they had saved April from the Kraang, and befriending her. Their attempts to fend off the Kraang as they slowly became more and more aware of what the aliens were up to. Their battles with the other mutants that had accidentally been created along the way. Their encounters with The Foot, and Splinter's history with their deadly leader. Their encounters with Karai, which left Mikey giggling for a moment with the realization that Leonardo had a thing for her and that she had turned out to be their father's long lost daughter all along. Then, getting over the humor of that scenario, he somberly resumed the history lesson. Explaining how the stakes kept getting higher and higher as the months had passed. How Donatello snuck off one night and rescued April's father from the Kraang, and about the horrible discovery he had uncovered in the process. And then, finally, their fateful mission to infiltrate TCRI, which ultimately saved the world.

"The Kraang had this teleporter portal thing that we had tried to destroy before with the help of a friend of mine. We weren't successful the first time around, but Leatherhead's sacrifice ruined the Kraang's plans, and we thought the threat was gone. Until Donnie figured out that the Kraang were almost ready to send something crazy big through the portal. Like, take over the world big. So Leo came up with a plan to infiltrate TCRI to destroy it once and for all. The night of the mission, we did our ninja thing and snuck into the building. I got bait duty, and my bros went off to blow the portal up." He paused, lost as he began remembering all too clearly how upset he had been over being left behind. To be the one who had to stay back and distract the Kraang, as usual, while his brothers ran off to play hero and get all the glory. And then shame and guilt relentlessly washed over him. Because he had no right to feel resentful over how his brothers had treated him that night. It had, after all, saved his life in the end. "And, uh,...it worked. They destroyed the portal, and put a pretty damn big monkey wrench into the Kraang's plans to take over the planet...but they couldn't get out of the room in time." Michelangelo fell silent.

" _...hurry up and get out of here, little brother! Go! Now!_ "

"Oh, Mikey, I'm so sorry." Alex said sincerely, as he grasped the teenager's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze to express his sympathies.

Head ducked, doing his best to fight back the tears, Michelangelo nodded his head in response. Swallowing thickly, he tried to ward off the haunting memory and let his eyes wander to the scenery around them. Trying to ground himself back in the present. "Thanks, dude." After a moment of struggling to stuff his sadness under lock and key, he strode forward to continue their trek to the bank. "We, uh, keep going this way, right?"

"Uh, yeah." The older cabbie replied, catching up in a quick jog. "It's not that much further, actually." He understood that the teenager was feeling exposed in his grief, and didn't want to linger on the subject any longer. So he respected his wishes, and for the next few moments of silence he fished around for a new topic to help ease the mutant's mind into a more pleasant distraction. "Hey, have you ever been to Flushing? I hear there's a great place on Main Street and 60th Street that's supposed to serve these amazing chocolate soup dumplings."

The food lover and budding chef perked up at the turn in the conversation, his eyes glistening with delighted curiosity. "Nope, but I sure as heck am gonna scope out that area now that you've mentioned it, because that sounds awesome! Do you know what the place is called?"

Pleased with his success, the human grinned and pointed at the bank ahead of them as they closed in on it. "Tell ya what; let's get our money taken care of, and then we can check out that place together. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty hungry myself. My treat, since that's your first paycheck and all. What do ya say?"

Another heartfelt smile of gratitude flickered onto Michelangelo's face, as he reached into his pants pocket to retrieve his paycheck. "You're a pretty cool guy, Alex. Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome, kid."

They walked through the bank's double doors, and into the spacious lobby. And as Michelangelo took his place in line, he felt some of his anxieties wash away. It was a relief for him to discover that not all the people in the world were needlessly cruel like Louie, and that people like Alex existed. People who were considerate, understanding, and willing to lend a hand without making you feel bad about needing the help in the first place. A sense of calm enveloped him as he realized that there was no reason for him to be afraid of this next step in his life. If he could survive the life shattering experiences he had suffered in the past few months, then he could certainly do this. And once it was done and over with, he'd have a bank account to call his own. Bravely, and successfully, taking one more step forward.

" _Just keep swimming_ ," he thought. Just like his brothers would want him to do.

* * *

 

**Thursday October 31, 2013**

As 8 o'clock in the evening drew closer, a light rain blanketed New York City.

"Uh oh, we better get a move on before we get drenched!" Laughing, with his sister's hand firmly within his grasp, Michelangelo dashed through the gentle shower. Across the street, toward the old building that was hosting The Mighty Mutanimals' annual Halloween party. He beamed back at her, as he tugged her through the crowd and towards the doorman. "Hey there, dude!" He greeted the baboon mutant, who just stared back at him blankly. "I'm Michelangelo Hamato, and this is my sister Karai. We're special guests of The Mighty Mutanimals."

The doorman glanced down at the slip of paper he had been given with the list of names approved for free entry to the party, and nodded his head at the teenaged turtle. "Have a blast." He said dryly, as he allowed the siblings past him and through the door.

"I have to admit, I'm impressed." Karai complimented him as they entered the building. They shook the rain off themselves as they made their way up the spiral staircase. "When did you become besties with the band leader?"

"We had cells next to each other while we were in Kraang custody." Replied Mikey, as they reached the top of the stairs. He took the lead once more, as they followed the sound of the band's music blasting from behind a particular set of doors. "Although I had actually seen him once before that, when my bros and I caught last year's Halloween concert."

They entered the room, dazzled by the dance lights as the band played passionately on stage.

While the teenage turtle stood staring in wonder, taking in every detail of the party flourishing around him, Karai slipped off to grab some drinks. "Here ya go!" She yelled over the crowd, as she returned and handed him his cup. Taking a satisfied sip from her own. "So, I can get everyone assuming you guys were wearing some pretty cool costumes. But how did you pay to get in last year? Were you already working for Murakami, and foot the bill yourself? Because I can't imagine good old honorable Leonardo being okay with sneaking into a party that has an entry fee."

"No, you're right, Leo would definitely have not been down with that!...It was April, actually. She paid for us as a thank you for saving her from the Kraang and for helping her try to get her dad back." For a moment, he was sad. Thinking about not just his brothers, but also of the friend he hadn't spoken to in months. But that quickly vanished from his mind once he got a taste of the drink his sister had given him. "Wow," he coughed. "What the heck kind of soda is this?"

"I had my sexy friend over there add a little something special to it." The girl admit, as she gazed back at the bartender with a hungry look in her eyes. "I think I'll ask her for something extra special for myself the next time I go over."

The undertone of her comment completely flew over Mikey's head as he started to shake his hips to the beat of the music. A warmth ignited by the drink melted through his body, making him feel even more content. He was dying to get on the dance floor. "Come on, sis!"

Without more of a warning than that, he snatched her hand up again and drove the two of them into the swarming crowd. They twisted and swayed their bodies to the beat of the music, sang along with some of the songs, and snacked on some munchies whenever they took a break. Laughing as the night passed them by.

"You've got some pretty rad moves!" Michelangelo praised his sister later on, as he finished his third drink of the evening. "Damn this stuff is good, once you get past the weird taste!"

"It's one of the perks of being a kunoichi, as I'm sure you could credit your own ninjitsu training for your talent on the floor."

"Nah, I'm just that smooth!" He laughed, making a move to steal her drink.

"I think you've had enough." Karai scolded playfully, as she finished her own cup. Requesting two bottles of water from the bartender she had been flirting with all night. "I don't think Father would appreciate me getting you drunk. Nothing but H20 for the rest of the night, little brother."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Smiling as she snatched up a french fry, his sister munched on it in silent contemplation as she watched the turtle chug his water. "Hey, thanks for taking me along with you tonight."

Beaming back at her, Mikey snatched up a handful of fries of his own and wolfed them down. "No problem, sis! I figured, after everything we've both been through the last few months, that we could use a break and have a little fun together for a change."

"This has been fun." She agreed, as she took a few more fries. Trying to think of a way to repay her newfound little brother for his kindness. "Next time we go out, it'll be my treat. Okay?"

"Sure, that would be awesome!"

"Yo!" A voice yelled through the crowd. Excited screeches from a few party girls broke out as a mutant gecko pushed his way over to the bar, and waved at the siblings. "Mikey, my man, it's good to see you!" He grabbed Michelangelo from out of his seat, and gave him a big strong hug. "How have you been holding up, little dude?"

"Good!" Mikey laughed, as he reclaimed his bar stool. "Yeah, bro, I've been good. Back to my full-blown awesomeness, and working as a cabbie in this totally rad city we're blessed to live in." He noticed his best friend and sister catch each other's eye, and decided to make the formal introductions. "Ryan, it is my pleasure to introduce you to my amazing big sister, Karai."

"Sup?" The rocker asked, as he shook her hand. "I knew my pal had brothers, but he never mentioned a sister."

The siblings shared a look, before the kunoichi grinned back at him. "We just found out about our connection a few months ago, actually."

"No offense," Ryan laughed as he took a seat next to the turtle. "But the more I get to know you, Mikey, the more your life sounds like something out of a comic book." He looked Karai knowingly in the eye. "You know what he did, right?" A crowd of fans had gathered around the trio, and were eagerly listening to every word their idol spoke. The gecko took notice of this, and shifted in his seat slightly so he could partially face the newcomers too and include them in the recollection he wanted to share. "This guy right here," he pointed at Mikey, "is a freaking hero! All of us mutants are free of the Kraang because of him, not the government agents who swooped in to take credit for it."

Michelangelo flushed, still unaccustomed to being praised for something he had done.

"The nasty pink blobs had us all locked up in these cramped cells, straight out of some sci-fi movie." Ryan continued, waving his arms about theatrically. "And then one night, this little blue-eyed wonder completely turned the tables on them and broke all of us out. It was pretty epic!" His excited grin sobered to one of gratitude when he caught the younger mutant's eye once more. "I'm always going to owe you for that. I know I've already said this. But if you ever need my help, don't hesitate to ask. You got it?"

Flattered, and a little nervous with so many people staring at him like he was some kind of rock star himself, Mikey smiled back with a nod. "Yeah, thanks."

"All right!" The gecko hollered, as he bounced off his stool and made his way back to the stage. "In honor of my amazing young friend over there, let's rock on a little bit longer!" He yelled to the crowd, as he climbed up to rejoin his band mates and grabbed his guitar. "What do you say, New York City? You ready for another round?"

Delighted screams cheered from the party goers. And as soon as the music started up again, everybody hopped back onto the dance floor to dance the night away.

* * *

 

**Sunday November 3rd, 2013**

"We used to have a VCR when I was a kid, with a truly oddball collection of VHS tapes to go along with it that my bros and I just learned to accept and cherish over the years. One of movies we used to have, that I'm not ashamed to say I love to death, was 'Little Women.' And there's this scene where Jo, who was easily my favorite character, comes home from an evening out with this guy who lived in the same building as her. And she's gushing about this opera they had just watched, and humming the songs, and spinning around. And I remember wishing, so bad, that I could be her whenever I'd watch that part of the movie. Because she was totally living her life, doing what she enjoyed doing without being nitpicked by her family, and getting to do fun stuff like going out and watching a beautiful show. And, holy cow, I'm one hundred percent channeling Jo from that scene right now!"

Michelangelo leapt and glided gracefully throughout the foyer of the theater as he animatedly divulged Karai with this particular childhood memory. Perfectly replicating the dances moves that had especially caught his eye, and earning more than one impressed gaze from the other theater patrons that were making their way past the pair to exit the building and head home. His mind was filled with the most memorable parts of the composed score. He couldn't wait to go home and purchase a digital copy if it was available.

"I'm glad you liked it," Karai remarked with a satisfied grin. Finding herself a little awestruck by his graceful dancing as well. "I wasn't sure if ballet was really going to be your thing."

"Are you kidding me?" The turtle squeaked, grinning wildly at her as he stopped his performance. "Ballet is right my alley, sis! If anyone gets to be surprised about this, it's me. Because I did not peg you as a theater lover."

"Why not?" She inquired as they retrieved their coats, and made their way outside into the chilly air. "Just because I dress like a rebel, doesn't mean I can't enjoy the finer things in life."

"I guess we both judged each other's books by their covers."

"Yeah, I suppose we did."

They headed back to the Lair in comfortable silence.

"I think Sensei would like the ballet." Michelangelo remarked after a while. "I know he likes classical music. Vincent invites him to come listen to the outside concerts that are held in Central Park sometimes, and he usually agrees to go. I think he likes getting out of the Lair once in a while, even though he'd never admit it out loud."

"So, he does go topside?" Asked Karai, as she glanced into the display windows of the stores they were passing by.

"Well, no. There's a tunnel near the area those kinds of concerts are usually held at, and apparently the acoustics are pretty rad. So they get comfy, and enjoy the music in their safe little hidey hole."

"Oh."

"Sensei's comfortable where he is." The turtle continued, feeling as if he needed to justify their father's decision to seclude himself. "I'm sure, when he's ready, he'll explore topside again." He glanced at his sister, and bumped his shoulder playfully into hers. "I bet he'd say yes if you invited him to a show, if that's what you're wondering."

Flustered at being caught, Karai blushed. "You think so?"

"Duh! He loves spending time with you! I mean, come on, Shredder robbed him of watching you grow up for most of your life! He's got 17 years of horrible parenting he's desperate to make up for!"

The air seemed to chill even more, and this time the silence that formed between the two was less than comfortable.

"He may be an evil person..." his sister said tightly as she collected herself."But he wasn't a horrible father to me. He gave me a comfortable home, an excellent education, and everything I ever asked for from him."

"But he treated you like just another one of his lackeys."

"I wasn't some mere lackey!" Karai snapped, stopping in her tracks and crossing her arms irritably. "I was his second in command, and I earned that title. Not because I was his little princess, but because I was his best soldier and I worked hard to prove it to him! His lack of warmth towards me was strategic. Doting over me in front of his men, or during a battle, would have shown weakness to his enemies! I mean, let's be real here! Leonardo took advantage of my willingness to work together and deal with the Kraang, and plotted an ambush against the Shredder that was nearly successful. What would he have done if he had learned sooner that I was Shredder's daughter?"

"Leo wasn't like that!" Michelangelo defended, while trying not to upset her further. "He really liked you!"

"Yeah, because betraying a girl's trust is the best way to win her heart."

"If he could have taken back that decision, he would have. Trust me." Mikey said softly, feeling just as guilty over how whole situation had been handled as he knew his brother had felt. After all, he was the one who took the shot that night. "Shredder really did a number on us before that, and wanted to kill Sensei too. Leo was just thinking about protecting our family; he didn't realize how important Shredder was to you."

The young girl softened. She wanted to cling to her anger, but she knew no good would come of it. Because he was right. And besides, it was in the past now. Getting angry again over what had happened back then wasn't going to change anything. The betrayal had happened, she had reacted, and everything only got worse after that. And then, when all was said and done, she had been left alone in her shock and grief. Feeling as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

A tear slipped free, and she swiped it away swiftly. Trying to bury the storm of emotions that had been stirred up by their argument. And then, much to her dismay, the young mutant closed the space between them and embraced her in a loving hug.

"I'm sorry I upset you, sis." He whispered sincerely. "I tend to say stupid things all the time, without stopping and thinking about how it's going to make someone else feel. I'm trying to work on that."

"It's okay," she replied. "I tend to get a little one track minded, and don't always consider the whole story myself." She pulled away, and offered him a smile. "I guess that's something I should try and work on too."

They resumed their trek home.

"I do believe he loves me, or at least he did." Said Karai after a few minutes, keeping her eyes trained ahead of them as she spoke. "I'm not delusional. I fully acknowledge that he basically raised me to someday assassinate my birth father. Which is extremely messed up, I know...but...I also know that I meant more to him than being just some prized weapon of his. When I was little, he read me bedtime stories. If I got sick, he was by my side tending to me until I was better. He always knew when I was upset, and always knew how to cheer me up." Guilt flashed onto her face, and she glanced over at her brother. "When Agent Bishop arrested him that day, and he realized that I was the one who had betrayed him...I've never seen him look so crushed."

"You feel bad about what happened." It wasn't a question, and it wasn't judgmental. It was an observation, filled with understanding. "That's not a crime, you know. You're allowed to still love the guy. You're allowed to miss him."

"I know...but it's tainted now. And it feels wrong to still care about him, knowing what he's done to my family. Especially now that I've gotten to know Father more, and have come to love him too over these past few months."

"There's nothing wrong with that!" Michelangelo insisted, as they entered an alley and came to a stop at the manhole cover that was waiting for them. "This isn't some silly cartoon, where your emotions can flick from loving someone to hating their guts in the blink of an eye for the sake of the plot. Shredder's still your father, despite the ugly truth being out there now. For 17 years that man was your father, and you loved him as your father. That doesn't magically go away. You can hate his guts, and still love him. It's confusing, and horrible, but that's just the way it is. I'm not judging you for that, Sensei won't judge you for that, and I know Leo wouldn't have judged you for that either."

"But, haven't you done just that?" Karai asked, staring at him with eyes filled with bafflement. "One day I'm your enemy, and the next I'm your sister. Wouldn't that count as flipping your emotions?"

"I liked you before I found out you were Sensei's daughter."

"Why?"

"Because Leo did, and because you seemed pretty cool to me. You were sneaking behind Shredder's back to help us fight the Kraang, and you were easy going and fun. Of course I liked you!" He admit, with a little shrug of his shoulders. "When we betrayed your trust, and you wanted nothing to do with us, I was just as bummed as Leo."

"How can you be so wonderfully understanding about everything? I've done nothing to deserve that. I've done just the opposite!" She stared at him with eyes filled with guilt and bafflement. "When you and your brothers betrayed my trust, I waged a war against the four of you. I hunted you guys, beat up one of your friends, and completely ignored what Shredder was doing with the Kraang. And that alone, is why you should hate my guts. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have suffered and your brothers would still be here!"

"You don't know that..." Michelangelo whispered, feeling uncomfortable over the way she was looking at him. "For all we know, if you had reacted differently and continued to try and stop the Kraang, you might have gone on that mission with us and died with the others. And I sure as hell am glad that didn't happen." He pried open the manhole, and looked at her expectantly. "I don't care how much you try to villianize yourself, Karai; I'm still going to love you."

Without saying another word, he jumped down into the hole. Glancing up at her with a smile, he walked off. His smile brightened when he heard the sound of her boots make contact with the concrete ground, and he slowed down to allow her to catch up with him. Snatching up her hand in his when she reached his side, and squeezing it gently.

They were going to be alright.


	3. The Anniversary

**Wednesday March 12, 2014**

He could feel his heartbeat begin to speed up, as an overwhelming desire to flee washed over him.

"It's weird seeing this place again, ya know?" His passenger, a short-haired feline mutant, remarked as she stared up in wonder at the old office building she had specifically requested a drive by of. "It's so, I dunno, liberating to see it in the daytime like this. It just looks so normal now, nothing like the Tower of Terror I imagined it as that night we finally escaped."

Michelangelo was avoiding looking directly at it himself, and instead tried really hard to keep his eyes pointed straight ahead. To pay attention to the taillights of the car in front of him, and to the pedestrians on the sidewalks who were playing around with the idea of crossing the street in-between the slowing down vehicles. Hoping, desperately, that perhaps the deliberate hyperfocus on everything else happening around his cab would snap him out of whatever the heck was happening to him right now.

That hope slipped out of reach as he came to the delayed realization that his hands, which had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel at this point, were starting to feel like they were being locked in place. Clenching shut like lobster claws while his vision began to get a little fuzzy. "Ooohh..., I don't like this! Nope, this isn't good!" Flicking on his blinker, he edged his way cautiously to the curb. Grateful that by some stroke of luck there was a parking spot available to slide his cab into. It was a short-lived victory, as the growing dread he had been feeling in steadily increasing increments for a little over a week now seemed to suddenly slam into him at full force.

He struggled, desperately, to keep his mind centered in the present. To pinpoint the sound of his panicked heartbeat and count each drum, as he had done in the past when this had happened to him. To try and take steady breaths, in and out, to calm himself.

But this wasn't like last time. This was much, much worse.

"Hey, are you okay?" His passenger asked, after her complaints over him pulling over had gone unheard. "Oh, god. Are you having a heart attack?"

Was that what was going on? Did that even happen to someone as young as he was? Especially when he was in excellent physical health, thanks to his lifetime of ninjitsu training? Had he eaten something he was allergic to without realizing it? "I'm fine...,"he whimpered. Uncertain of who he was trying to convince more, his startled passenger or himself. Tears threatened to spill as he stared down at his hands, terrified and not knowing what he was supposed to do.

"Uh, hello?" The feline had maneuvered herself through the window separating the drivers from their passengers, and had gotten a hold of the cab's radio. "I think we might need an ambulance over here."

"Who the hell is this, and where the hell is 'here'?" The dispatcher, who Mikey hazily realized was actually Louie instead of Gary, asked irritably.

"It's okay," Mikey insisted as steadily as he could manage, despite the fact that he was feeling increasingly hysterical by the second. "I just...need a second to calm down."

"Hamato?" If the turtle didn't know any better, he'd say his boss actually sounded a little concerned.

"It's okay," he found himself repeating. Closing his eyes, and trying even harder to focus on the sound of his heartbeat. "I'm fine."

He knew he was safe inside his cab, but that didn't stop the assault his senses were undergoing. The noise of the city traffic and busy people faded into the background, muffled, and was replaced with something far more unpleasant. The smells of copper and something akin to burning hair filled his nostrils. The sounds of saws and drills as they made contact with their target erupted in his ears. And for a terrifying, flickering moment, the pain came rushing back to him. As if he was still strapped to the table. Terror enveloped him, and in the fog of it all he could just barely make out the sound of his own panicked breathing. Of voices beseeching him and sounding worried. The collar of his dress shirt was being unbuttoned, which allowed him to breathe a little easier. Then something took hold of his shoulder, and shook it gently. He could feel himself resurfacing bit by bit. But when he opened his eyes and hesitantly glanced over, all he saw was a slithery pink tentacle and he completely lost it.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay! Mikey, it's me!"

Sounds of the city suddenly turned up; abruptly loud, like commercials during program breaks on TV. With a couple of confused blinks, Michelangelo's world came back into focus. He wasn't strapped to a table being interrogated by the Kraang for April O'Neil's location. No, despite the terrifying vividness of the memory, he firmly reminded himself that that's all it was. A memory. And that the suffering he had undergone had happened a year ago. He was back in the present now. Where he was forced to face the reality that not only had his brothers been killed, but that the friend he had protected through the aliens creative torture had walked away from him and never looked back.

"Mikey, are ya with me kid?"

He blinked again, brow wrinkled with confusion, and the speaker's worried face came into focus. His hand " _A hand, it's not a tentacle, it's just a hand_ " was still on Michelangelo's shoulder. "Alex?" He whispered shakily, still finding himself uncertain of what was real and what wasn't.

A relieved smile flickered onto the man's face, as his grip on the mutant's shoulder tightened in a comforting gesture. "Welcome back, Mikey! You really scared us for a moment there!"

"Is he okay?" A new voice asked from outside of the vehicle. Mikey turned his neck to his right, looking through the car's windows, and saw his passenger on the sidewalk standing next to another one of his fellow cabbies. "Should I radio Louie back and insist on an ambulance to the EPF clinic?" Mitsu pressed on, her own face filled with worry over the turtle's state.

"No, I'm fine!" Michelangelo tore his eyes away from hers, and resumed staring straight ahead. Feeling extremely embarrassed by the situation he was presently in. As well as vulnerable, and overwhelmed.

"I'm so sorry!" His passenger said as she came up to the window, and peered in at him with wide apologetic eyes. "With the clothes, and the bandana on your head, and the stage make up covering everything up, I didn't recognize who you were! I swear, if I realized you were, well, **you** , I never would have asked to be brought back here!" As he fumbled to button back up his shirt, with shaky hands, to pull the curtain of fabric over his scars once more; the feline mutant fumbled with her bag, and dug around until she found her wallet. "I know this doesn't really make up for what happened, but I want you to take this anyway!" She leaned into the window, and placed her fare into the built in cup holder next to him between the two front seats. Alongside it she placed an extra hundred dollar bill as a tip. "I'm really, really sorry!" She backed up, her high heels clicking on the sidewalk, and strode over to Mitsu's cab and hopped in.

It was as the other cab pulled away from the curb and slowly drove past them, with the driver and passenger both glancing at the young mutant with mutual concern, that his slow-moving mind registered what the woman had given him. "She didn't have to do that, it's not her fault I'm crazy and spaced out on her."

"You're not crazy," Alex told him gently. He opened up the driver's side door, and coaxed the turtle out of the vehicle. "Why don't we get you into the passenger seat, and I'll drive. Okay?"

His legs were wobbly, and his hands were still shaky. So Michelangelo didn't argue with his friend, despite wanting to shoo the man away and insist he was good to drive himself. "I don't want to go to EPF clinic, Alex. I-I can't, it's just going to make this feel worse." His chest was sore, and he felt weak, but his breathing and heartbeat were calming down and back to their regular rhythms. He didn't want a repeat performance of what he just went through, which he was sure would happen if they went to the old TCRI building right now.

"It's okay, kid. Don't worry, I understand."

"Reiger? You there? What's going on with Iggy Jr?" Louie's voice boomed over the cab's radio.

Alex snatched up the mic. "I got him, Lou. He's okay. I'm bringing him back to the garage so he can clock out and go home." The older cabbie buckled up, made sure his passenger had too, and then pulled the cab away from the curve. Merging with the traffic, and taking the quickest route he knew back to the Sunshine Cab garage. He glanced over at the mutant when they got to a red light, and remembered what his young friend's passenger had said. "That was it, huh? The place you all had escaped from?" Mikey remained silent, while still staring ahead, and nodded his head lightly in confirmation. Alex noticed that he had buttoned his shirt back up, and fixed the makeup on his face that had been streaked by tears. The scars were once again hidden completely from the world. "I'd understand if you didn't want to, but if you need someone to talk to about what was done to you I'm always here to listen."

"I know," Mikey replied quietly. "I'm sorry I got everyone all worried about me."

"It's okay." The older cabbie stole another glance at the teenager. "Has this ever happened to you before?"

"No." Murmured the turtle; looking confused as he thought back on what had just happened to him. "I've driven by that place before, and the TCRI building too, and while they always give me bad vibes...I've never had anything like that happen to me before." It wasn't exactly true. He had experienced slightly stronger reactions to seeing those buildings in the past, rather than simply getting bad vibes from them. However; he had learned to expect the waves of anxiety, and did his best to avoid those areas of the city if he could get away with it. And if he couldn't, then he'd try not to look directly at them as his cab approached them and passed them by. Normally that did the trick, and the anxiety would fade as quickly as it had sprung up the further away from the buildings he'd get. What happened this time around had completely taken him off guard. For a few moments there, he thought he was dying. " _That would be kinda poetic if it did kill me, today of all days..._ "

A realization struck him.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense now..."

"What does?"

"Today's the anniversary." Michelangelo said, with a lump forming in his throat. "My brothers died a year ago today."

The rest of the drive was spent in somber silence. When they pulled into the garage, none of the other cabbies were there. The afternoon shift had started, and the morning shift drivers had already gone home. Kenshin, Mitsu's fiancé, greeted the pair as they entered the main area where the mechanical work was done on the cars and the cabbies took their breaks. Louie was coming down from his office upstairs, while Gary was working in the Cage giving aid requested by the drivers on the road. All three cast curious and worried glances at Mikey as he approached the Cage with his earnings so Gary could accept it and clock him out.

"You okay, man?" Kenshin asked, as he feigned interest in cleaning motor oil off one of his tools to make it less awkward for his friend.

"Yeah, dude." The turtle replied, and managed to muster up a grin for him. "Tell Mitsu I'm okay when you see her later."

The mechanic nodded, and reluctantly went back to work on the cab he was doing an oil change for. Michelangelo made his way swiftly back towards the exit, where Alex was waiting for him to give him a ride, when an uncomfortable cough caught his attention.

"Hey, Hamato, hold up a sec."

Louie looked like he was trying very hard to pretend he didn't care about what the teenager was going through. He avoided eye contact, staring at his feet instead. He reached a hand up to scratch a non-existent itch on the back of his head as he tried to conjure up the words he wanted to say without revealing his concern for the young mutant. "Why don't you, uh, take tomorrow off. Use a personal day, and relax at home or something." A scowl flickered to the short man's face when he noticed the knowing grin Alex was giving him, and the happy smile blossoming on the teenager's face. "What?! Obviously the kid works too hard!" He barked at his long-time coworker, whose grin didn't falter. "He's clearly shorting himself out, and I don't want to go through the hassle of sitting through mind numbing job interviews to replace him if I can avoid it!"

Alex wasn't fooled, and neither was Mikey. "I knew you liked me, boss!" He chirped as he dashed over to the man and gave him a hug. "Thanks!"

"Yeah, whatever kid." Louie put on a show of disgust as he wiggled out of the teenager's embrace. He stormed back up the stairs to return to his office, grumbling under his breath as he went.

"He's off to put his Grinch costume back on." Alex joked, as he gave Mikey a tap on his arm and led the way out of the garage. "Let's get you home."

Michelangelo had the older cabbie drop him off at Murakami's. He was hungry, and wasn't feeling motivated enough to whip up a meal when he got home. Instead, he ordered his father and sister's favorite dishes to go and made his way back to the Lair. Disappointed to discover it was empty when he got there. " _Sensei must be out with Karai._ "

He brought his food to his room, and ate quietly as he scrolled through his dashboard on Tumblr. For a little while, it was distracting enough. Various gifs of the antics of a Deadpool cosplayer at different conventions had him cracking up. Fanfiction and fanart from his favorite movies and shows had him beaming with pride over the hard work of his fellow fans. Beautiful landscape photography gave him severe wanderlust, as he longed for the day when he had enough money saved up to travel outside of New York City and see it all in person.

But the distraction didn't last, and in time he found himself thinking back on the incident in the cab. And then he couldn't stop thinking about it. His mind plunged back into the nightmarish memories he had been sucked into less than an hour before. The sounds and smells of the room, and the pain he was surprised he had lived through. It all once again came flooding back to him. This time, there wasn't anyone there to help ground him and bring him back to the present.

While his father and sister continued to enjoy their afternoon out, walking around Central Park without a care in the world, Michelangelo was in a mental hell in the privacy of his bedroom back at the Lair. Shivering and sobbing on his bed, he buried himself under the covers and begged for it to go away.


	4. Old Friends, New Friends

**Friday March 21, 2014**

' _Dear April,_

_Can you believe it's been almost a year since the craziness finally ended?_

_Since the last time we talked to each other?_

_How have you been holding up?_

_I'm writing to you because it's been a long time since we last saw or spoke to each other, and I miss you. And also because, thanks to something that happened to me recently, I think I understand why you stopped answering my calls and replying to my texts, and thought it was important to talk about._

_You cut ties with me because I trigger you, don't I?_

_The other day during my shift (I'm a cab driver now if case you were curious, do you have a job now too?), I had to drive by the old Kraang building all us mutants were held captive in after the explosion at the TCRI building. Anyway, long story short, I always get uncomfortable seeing that place and the TCRI building. But the other day was different, in a really scary kind of way._

_I reacted way stronger than I normally do to seeing that place. My heart felt like it was going to explode, I was hyperventilating (that's what Mitsu, one of my cabbie friends who witnessed the tail end of the episode, told me later on), and I legit flashed back to being questioned by the Kraang. Not just remembering what had happened, but feeling what I had felt and smelling the same smells. Like I was there again, like I never left that table. For a second there, I thought I really was still there, and that everything that has happened in the past few months since then was some kind of dream._

_I'm not going to lie, I thought I was dying (which I guess makes sense since I almost did back then, the way Ryan tells it anyway-he was in the cell next to me, so I guess he really would know how bad off I was for the stuff I blocked out) but don't tell Sensei that if you do decide to write back! I told him what happened in my cab the other day, because I couldn't not tell him about it, but I did sugar coat it a little because I didn't want to upset him and make him worry about me. You remember how much I freaked him out after the escape when I finally managed to get home, looking like death warmed over and slipping into that coma for a few days?...It upsets me a lot, seeing him upset like that, and I just don't want to put him through that kind of emotional stress again. Especially after how much his mood has lifted since Karai started bonding with him a few months ago. I'd rather focus on nurturing the good vibrations, than revisiting the ugly stuff if I can avoid it. You know?_

_She does feel bad about what she did to you, by the way. Karai, I mean. She's not expecting you to forgive her for what happened, but if you ever did I think you two would make great friends!_

_Sorry, I spiraled off topic. Me and my dumb scattered brain, I bet you don't miss that, haha!_

_Anyway, I went and saw Jacob (You remember him, right? Vincent's son, the doctor? He's the one that came over to check you out when you got the flu while you lived with us in the Lair.), and he told me it sounded like I had a panic attack and that he thought I may have PTSD. He said that it was probably triggered by my seeing the building again on the anniversary of the mission, of the guys dying and what the Kraang did to me, and that was why I had a stronger reaction to seeing and being near those two Kraang buildings than I have in the past._

_That, I guess, the timing of it made it more of an intense trigger than it normally is for me?_

_He thinks I should see a shrink to talk about it, because head stuff's not really his thing. I can't do that though. You know mutants have to go to EPF clinics for our healthcare, since it comes out of our taxes and health insurance companies don't offer coverage for mutants if they want to go outside of the EPF network? Well there's only one EPF clinic in NYC, and that's the old TCRI building. It's huge, which I guess is why they haven't bothered setting up any others in the city. But because of obvious reasons (sorry doc, I don't wanna go back in time!) I'm not interested in seeking help there. I can't afford to pay for it out of pocket (seeing a therapist is ridonculously expensive yo!), so Jacob suggested that I start taking supplements to see if they help at all. He also suggested that I try writing in a journal or talking about it with someone else who shares a similar experience._

_Which brings me here, with me making the big "DUH" aha moment that you may not have cut ties with me because of hypothetically hating my guts now, but that you might have done it because I remind you of all the scary crap you had to put with when the Kraang were gunning for you. Plus, now that I think about it, you were scary close to being in the TCRI building when the bomb went off (you have no idea how grateful I am that you got away from those Kraang bots on your own that night after your brainwashed dad handed you over to them-congrats for being a total badass kunoichi!)._

_Your dad wanted to get the two of you out of the city, which is totally understandable, and you took it one step further by severing the remaining ties to anything else that would remind you of that time in your life. Which would be me. Which I totally get._

_Sometimes, like these past few days, I wish I was brave enough to do the same thing._

_But I have new ties here now that make it all easier to deal with. Ryan (you probably know him as Mondo Gecko from The Mighty Mutanimals-anyway, he helped me through the worst of the torture while we were prisoners of the Kraang, and has been an awesome surrogate brother to me since then-the rest of his band are rad like that too), Mitsu and Kenshin (they're a super cute couple I work with, and cool peeps to hang out with when we're off the clock-she's a dancer and wants me to be her partner in a competition she's signed up for which sounds like a lot of fun), Karai (she really is an awesome person once you get to know her, I really love having her as my sister), Alex (he's this super nice older coworker of mine, kinda like a second dad, my work dad!), and Louie (he's my boss who's a mean sour puss-but on blink or you'll miss 'em occasions he's really super duper secretly a nice guy when he wants to be...he kinda reminds me of Raph, haha!)._

_They make staying in the city worth toughing it out, although I would genuinely like to travel someday (it'll happen soon, Ry told me that once the band goes on tour during my vacation I could go with them)._

_Anyway, they're, like, my support group right now. Even though I try to keep the worst of it from them (try is the key word there...for some reason I keep unloading all my emotional baggage on Alex since he always seems to be nearby when something happens or I really need to talk about stuff...which I feel really bad about, because I'm sure it throws him for a loop when I get like that, and he's probably only being polite when he sits and listens to it, and probably thinks I'm just some dumb messed up kid that he's too nice to say Scram Off to)._

_Ha, there I go rambling again!_

_What I was trying to say is that the people in my life right now are my support group despite my efforts to shield them from the ugly stuff I sometimes go through, and I hope that you (and your dad too, because you both deserve so much better after what happened to both of you last year) have found people like that to help you through any rough patches you've had to deal with since this whole thing started._

_Do you think when I do finally venture out of the city, we'll someday cross paths? If we do, I hope you're in a good place, and that seeing me again doesn't muddy the waters for you._

_I love you, April. You'll always be like a sister to me, and I hope you know that if you want to talk about what you've had to go through, I'm totally here for you if you need me. My number hasn't changed, but if snail mail is more therapeutic for you I'm down with keeping that up too._

_Lots of love and well wishes,_

_Mikey_ '

Slouched against the railing of the post office steps, as a light breeze tugged at the long tails of his jade bandana with its pink peace symbol proudly on display at the top of his head, Michelangelo re-read the letter he had written to his distant friend the week before. The envelope it had spent the long trip in for the past several days had a message scrawled on it, in delicate handwriting, for the post office to return it to its sender. Nothing else was enclosed with it, for the envelope had never been opened in the first place. The paper had remained untorn since the day he licked the glue and sealed it shut nearly seven days ago.

Blinking back tears, and doing his best to bury his sadness and respect that this is what April truly wanted, the teenager sniffed as he tore his eyes off of his own messy handwriting and distracted himself with the activities of the city life around him. Slowly crumbling up the letter and envelope in a tight little ball, he then shuffled his way down the post office steps and continued making his way back home. Tossing the unwanted paper in the first street side trash can his eyes caught sight of.

He tried to tell himself he wasn't surprised by this turn of events.

" _That was really thoughtless and selfish of me to mail out a couple of days after the anniversary..._ " He scolded himself as he walked, only half paying attention to where he was going. " _I was still rattled by what I went through, what if she had a similar freakish experience and was trying to recover from it? Reading some pity party letter from me reminding her of all the bad stuff sure wasn't going to help things. What was I thinking?!_ " The miserable frown that had formed on his face deepened with shame. " _I wasn't thinking. That's my problem!_ "

Slinking into an alleyway, he checked to make sure no one was watching him before lifting up the manhole cover and slipping away into the darkness. " _I'm glad she didn't open it...If she didn't like me anymore before I wrote it, then she'd probably really think I'm a total jerk if she had read the letter._ "

Even though he knew there were no messages waiting for him, the young mutant checked his voicemail and texts anyway as he walked the familiar trek of sewer tunnels as they eventually connected with the subway tunnel system. In time, finding himself at the threshold of his long time home. He called out in announcement of his return, only to be greeted with silence. "Sensei's out again..."

Normally this revelation would overjoy him, because it was good for his father to go topside instead of staying cooped up in the Lair all the time. But more often than not he was beginning to find that his own loneliness and anxieties, especially in the wake of the one year anniversary, were suffocating him more and more with each passing day. Coming home to an empty Lair wasn't helping him deal with his problems. "I can't keep doing this." He whispered to himself, and he turned around. Walking back out into the abandoned subway tunnels with no real destination in mind. All he knew for certain was that it wasn't a good idea for him to be home by himself. " _I can't stay cooped up here alone when I feel like this, it's totally not good for my brain space!_ "

The teen pulled up the contacts on his phone, looking at the list of names and debating over who to call. Alex was terribly tempting, as the elderly human was always willing to lend an ear to the teenager in the past, but he scrolled past his name. He had burdened the man enough with his problems, exposing and unloading his vulnerabilities to his coworker with alarming frequency. He suspected, at this point, that the man knew more about his emotional turmoil than Splinter did. Which just made him feel even more anxious and guilty.

He didn't want to unload his problems on Alex anymore if he could avoid it.

Ryan was there for most of the ugliness he had lived through during his time as a Kraang prisoner. The gecko wasn't tortured himself, he was merely a prisoner during his time spent in captivity, but he frequently saw the aftermath of the interrogation sessions Michelangelo had undergone. The young ninja wanted to believe that his older friend would be safe to lean on, and vent to, for a little while until the worst of it had passed. He'd ring up the musician later though; right now he needed to do something fun to pull his head out of the doldrums.

Mitsu's name caught his eye next, and he thought about her offer to him to join her in the competition. He loved music, he loved dancing, he loved spending time with friends, and he loved friendly competitions. It was the perfect, time-consuming distraction he needed right now. He selected her name, and hit the dial button. Waiting, with a flicker of eager impatience, for her to answer her phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, girl! How's the ever-lovely Mitsu doing this fine evening?" He inquired with an extra cheerful tone as he continued his walk through the dark tunnels. Trying to remember which direction he needed to go that would lead him to the closet topside access to the apartment she shared with Kenshin. "You still want me to be your partner for that dance competition you told me about?"

"Yeah, of course!" She replied, sounding genuine yet cautious in the same breath. "Are you really up for it right now? You know, with what you've been dealing with lately?"

Ah, so he wasn't keeping the ugliness as well buried as he had hoped while he was around his coworkers. That wouldn't do. He wanted to be the fun guy at work, not the depressed one everyone walked on eggshells around and worried about whenever he wasn't in the room. "Totally cool, hon. And having fun with you will make it even better! We can start rehearsing tonight if you're game, I don't have any plans right now!"

"Okay, yeah, sure!" Her voice was warm with a smile. "If you haven't eaten yet, then don't! Stay for dinner after we're done practicing, I make a mean lasagna!"

A laugh bubbled from his throat, as he found the tunnel he needed to take and quickly began making his way down it. "Sounds rad. I'll be there in a few, Mitsu." He ended the call with the snap of his cell closing shut and a grin on his face. Happy he had gone with his gut, and sought out the company of his friends instead of wallowing in the Lair by himself. He wasn't going to let himself sink into the swamps of sadness within his own mind, especially when it could easily be avoided by the company of friends and loved ones.

He just hoped that April was fighting to good fight and living her life to the fullest too.


	5. Spring And Summer

**Tuesday May 13, 2014**

The music ceased in sync with the dancers as they completed their routine with a finalizing pose, and the crowd cheered enthusiastically over their impressive performance. The grinning pair, in their glittering finery, smiled and bowed for the audience before walking off to the side of the dance floor and taking their seats. Sipping their preferred brands of energy water, and sharing smiles and giggles with each other and their fellow competitors as the stage was cleaned and prepped for the next pair.

The energy in the room was electric with the joy, wonder, and excitement of both the crowd and the other dancers. Michelangelo could practically feel it buzzing in the air around him as he squinted in the dim light to look for familiar faces in the audience. To the right he had spotted Alex chatting with his old cabbie friend, Elaine, who was sitting by his side. She was in the city visiting one of her children, and thought Alex's suggestion to go to the competition was a great idea for a fun night out as they reminisced over the old days. Nearly directly across from the pair, to his left, the teen spotted Ryan and Candy huddled together in their seats. The gecko was talking over his shoulder to their band mates sitting behind them, and when they spotted Mikey watching them and gave animated waves and cheers of encouragement, he swiveled back around to follow their line of sight and joined in with the support. The turtle smiled, and waved back happily as he bounced on his toes lightly. He couldn't wait to get out on the dance floor.

"You guys are up next!" Kenshin exclaimed as he rejoined the dance partners, carrying water and energy drinks in his arms. "Good luck, man." He said with a slap to Michelangelo's shoulder as he gave his full attention to his fiancé. "You two are going to blow them away. You look absolutely gorgeous, babe!"

"Thanks sweetie," Mikey replied in a girlish pitch before Mitsu could speak. Grinning at her laughter, and then laughing himself at the comical look the mechanic shot towards him. "Sorry, dude. Continue your serenade of praise to your truly lovely fiancé. I'll just be over here pretending the lovey dovey stuff isn't at all awkward."

"Someday, man, you'll be dumb with love too." Said Kenshin in a matter of fact tone. He started to give Mitsu a quick massage of the shoulders to ease her nerves. "And I'm gonna have so much fun harassing you over it when it happens!"

"Yeah, sure dude," replied the turtle with a playfull roll his eyes. He resumed scanning the crowd with a smile. Spotting Karai with her girlfriend, who he had quickly become very fond of, as they were taking their seats. "I've got the dumb part down solid, all I need now is the special someone who's willing to put up with me!" He supposed having a girlfriend or boyfriend would be nice. After all for the couples like Mitsu and Kenshin, or Ryan and Candy, who made it work long-time, being in a relationship seemed to be a fulfilling aspect of their lives. He just wished, purely for the sake of fitting in, that he was interested in dating the way the rest of the world seemed to be.

"Mikey, you're not d-"

The lights dimmed even more, as the announcer declared the names of the next dancing pair and the song they were performing to. "That's our cue! Let's boo boo, baby!" Michelangelo snatched Mitsu's hand gently, and led her over to the center of dance stage so they could take their positions.

The moment the intro to Aqua's 'Happy Boys And Girls' began, the two launched into their freestyle dance with bright smiles on their faces. The world was theirs, and everything else disappeared as they spun, leapt, and swayed their bodies to the upbeat music. Michelangelo was having the time of his life, feeling like he could burst with the raw joy he was experiencing. But the music wouldn't play forever; it would soon have to come to an end. Sharing an excited look between them as the song began to wind down to its closing notes, the two dancers came together to conduct their final move. The audience was dazzled when they performed it, and the deafening roar of their awed cheers exploded in the room the moment it was completed as the song finally ended.

The teenager soon found himself sandwiched between Mitsu and Kenshin in an ecstatic hug as he returned to their spot on the sidelines to wait for the judges' scores. "That was freaking awesome!" He grinned happily in response to the cheers from his friends in the audience. But he beamed even more when he caught sight of someone he hadn't noticed before amongst the sea of mutants and humans watching the show. Almost directly across from where he was standing sat Splinter with a proud smile on his face.

Blushing in response, the young mutant raised a hand up and waved as he smiled back at his father.

* * *

 

**Saturday August 02, 2014**

It had taken a long time, but after several attempts Mikey and the Mighty Mutanimals were finally able to coordinate their schedules so that he could join them on one of their tours.

The past week and a half had been a fun one, as they left the bubbled life of New York City that Mikey was accustomed to and drove off to explore the rest of the state as they headed for their destination. It was a week of diner and roadhouse breakfasts, sightseeing, motels, and camping. Then one wild night of musical performances, adoring crowds, and excitement-laced exhaustion before they ventured back onto the road to make their way back home. Alim, a mutant who was mermanesque in appearance, had done the driving for the trip to the concert. After a quick game of rock, paper, scissors between Slash and Ray, the later lost out and became the designated driver back to the Big Apple.

Mikey was in the middle of his addictive binge-watch through The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, with his heart going out to Lydia, when Candy straightened up in her seat next to him. Leaning over him, and unintentionally blocking the laptop's screen with the wings that sprouted from her back, she strained to get a better look at what had just caught her eye outside. "Was that a drive-in we just drove by," she asked.

"A what?"

"Turn around and go back, I think that was a drive-in!"

Following Candy's excited orders, Michelangelo braced himself as Ray abruptly pulled the van over. Performing a three point turn, and driving back in the direction they had been coming from. Then he abruptly pulled over again once they were across from the billboard-like structure and the little pay booth perched just in front of it. Everyone shuffled in their seats to get a better look, as Ryan's girlfriend let out a joyful squeal. "Sweet, it totally is!"

Before anyone could stop her, the blonde unbuckled her seat belt and sprang out of the van. Crossing the street and inspecting the advertisement posted on the booth. While Ray, Alim, and Slash grumbled about needing to move on and find a motel to crash in, Michelangelo and Ryan quickly got out of the van to join Candy and see what all the fuss was about.

"So, what's a drive-in?" The turtle asked, scanning the area curiously. He peeked through the branches of the evergreens that seemed to border the entire property, and noted that the dirt driveway leading into the lot went past several narrow dirt paths that looked wide enough for cars to drive through. It almost reminded him of a graveyard with the way the odd poles he could see sticking out of the ground were spaced apart down the little dirt roads. In the middle, close to the front, was a small building with an opening that faced the structure they were standing behind. To complete the interesting setup; at the base of the blank billboard, was a well maintained and decent sized playground.

Mikey fought the urge to dash over to it and hop onto one of the swings.

"It's an outdoor movie theater." Candy explained with a smile on her face, her mind taking a trip back in time to her childhood. "They do double features, usually family friendly movies, and you sit inside your car or in chairs around your car and watch them. It's been ages since I've been to one, my folks used to take my sister and I all the time in the summer when we were kids. I lived in Massachusetts back then, but the closest one to us was in New Hampshire so it was always a bit of a fun little road trip. Mom and dad used to make us take a nap during the day, so we'd be able to stay awake through both movies. The first showing's started close to nine o'clock at night, so by the time the second movie was done it's be past midnight. Super exciting when you're a kid! Anyway, we'd go to Market Basket that day to get their brand of soda to bring with us. Back then, with their 24-packs, they used to let you pick out whatever flavors you wanted. Nowadays it's pre-packaged, which is a bummer because there's never enough of the Birch Beer or Cream Soda. Haha! So, we'd get the soda's we liked and mom would whip up her garlic popcorn, and off we'd go. It always smelled great, because they sell their own hot foods there too. Usually by the intermission between the two movies we'd be hungry, and the folks would buy something hot for us to eat. If it got cold, depending on the weather, they'd treat us to hot chocolate or hot cider."

"That does sound like a lot of fun!"

"It was! And I fully intend on continuing the tradition when Ry and I start having kids of our own." She pointed a finger at the advertisement, and then put on her best pouty face for Ryan's benefit. "Come on, they're playing 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes'. We wanted to see both those movies, so why not tonight?"

"It's tempting," admit the gecko. He had fond childhood memories of trips to the drive in too; there were a lot of them scattered across the state of New York."But we've got to keep moving and find a motel to crash in."

"Oh please," the eager winged-woman snorted. She pulled out her cell phone, and did a quick Google search. "Lookie here, darling. Right off the bat, we've got about four options to pick from on South Street. According to this, they're roughly 16 minutes from here. We've got plenty of time to scope them out, pick the best option and get settled, grab some goodies, and get back here in time to be early and grab a good spot to park." She playfully grabbed Mikey by the shoulder, and pulled him close to her. "Besides, this sheltered baby's never been to one. The others won't mind, it's not like we need to meet a deadline or anything. We're heading home, not to another show!"

Michelangelo, now very excited by the prospect, threw on his best pleading puppy look. Teamed up with Candy's playful expressions, it didn't take long for Ryan to fold.

They ventured back onto the road, seeking out the motels that the web browser and listed off for them. Slash chuckled when he caught the name of the drive-in they were going to be returning to later on at dusk. "I dunno guys; maybe we should look up another drive-in to go to. This one might be haunted!"

"'The Overlook'," snickered Alim. Shaking his head with an amused expression on his face. "Dude's right, we should totally call up the Ghostbusters and have them scope the place first!"

With the pop culture references flying over his head, the teenaged turtle giggled politely as the others laughed. "Um...huh?"

"Here's a little reminder: 'Redruuummmm!'"

"Okay dudes, now you've really lost me."

"Oh, that's a real crime." Quipped Ray from the driver's seat, as he leaned across the front of the van to fumble with the latch for the glove compartment. Successfully hitting the button after a couple of failed attempts, and pulling out one of the paperbacks he had stashed inside it. He took his eyes off the road long enough to quickly glance at the cover to make sure he had the right book, and then tossed it back for his band mates to pass along to Mikey. "Read that, kid."

It was a small, worn, silvery-gray colored book with the outline of the faceless head of a boy on the cover. "'The Shining'?" Closing the laptop, too curious in the moment to continue watching the webseries that had kept him entertained for the past few hours, Michelangelo read the description written on the back cover. "Oooh! Okay, yeah, this totally sounds like my kind of story!" He opened the book, scanning through the first couple of pages that quoted reviews of the popular novel, and then thumbed over to the first page. Quickly becoming entranced by Stephen King's writing style as he joined a young Danny Torrence on his trip to the haunted hotel in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.


	6. Cat's In The Cradle

**Monday September 29, 2014**

The smell of coffee stirred Michelangelo's senses before he heard the creak of his bedroom door opening. It wasn't until he felt his bed shift, due to the added weight of his visitor as they quietly sat beside him, that he opened his eyes to see who it was. Karai smiled down at him and offered him a mug of the steaming black liquid. The scent of hazelnut and cinnamon wafted up as he accepted the beverage, and he quickly sat up to take a grateful sip.

"I think I got your sugar and cream ratio right," she remarked. Taking a glance around the room, and grinning at his meager collection of books on the shelf above his bed. She was happy to see they shared similar taste in literature when she recognized a few titles that she had her own well-read copies of at the the apartment she shared with her girlfriend. Looking pleased with herself, she turned her attention back to him. "So, what's the verdict?"

Her younger brother ginned back at her, and gave her a thumbs up as he handed her back the mug so he could adjust his pillows to sit up more comfortably without risking spilling the coffee. He took another eager sip of the hot liquid once she returned the mug to him again. "You hit the target, sis!" He could feel the caffeine quickly work its way into his system as he blinked the last remnants of sleep out of his eyes. "Not that I'm complaining, but what's with you bringing me coffee in bed?"

"Because it's your birthday!" She laughed as she gave him a playful punch to the shoulder. "Well, mutation day. But it's the same thing really." Getting up gracefully, she glided out of his room. "Father's making breakfast, it should be ready soon!"

"Really? Sweet!" That was a surprise. Their father had taken a step back from cooking years ago, when Michelangelo had taken an interest in it when he was about 9 years old. After Mikey had taken over as the family's official chef, it was only on special occasions that Splinter would step in to do it himself. From what he was smelling through his open bedroom door, a traditional Japanese breakfast was almost ready to be served in the kitchen.

With his mouth watering in anticipation, and his stomach growling with a motivating wave of hunger, the young mutant detangled himself from his blankets and got up. He took yet another sip of his coffee, and then placed the mug down on the shelf above his bed. He moved over to his old chest, and surveyed what remained of the folded shirts and jeans inside. There wasn't much to pick from. He was going to have to do his laundry soon. Mulling over his limited options, he eventually settled on what he wanted to wear that day and snatched up the clothes. Dashing to the bathroom for a quick shower before breakfast was ready for him.

He threw on the jeans and long sleeved yellow shirt, and then put a blue, purple, and red stripped bandana on over his bald head, covering up the scars his scalp had on display. In seconds, after drying off his face with his towel, and without the aid of a mirror after a year of this practiced routine, he put on the stage makeup that matched the hue of his skin tone perfectly. His freckles were sacrificed in the process, which always made Mikey feel a little sad to have to cover them up, but it was necessary. It was for his own peace of mind as well as for his father's.

"Michelangelo, breakfast is just about ready!"

"Just a sec!" He yelled in response as he emerged from the bathroom, and returned to his room to retrieve his coffee. "I can't wait to eat! That's smelling soooo yummy!"

In record time, he had run across the Lair and into the small kitchen. The display of food that greeted him on the table was certainly a surprise. The traditional Japanese breakfast he had been expecting was there. Miso soup, grilled fish, and rice porridge. He was surprised to see, alongside the dishes, a plate covered in egg tarts. They smelled amazing! He resisted the urge to dive onto the table and inhale the tasty treats, and settled on swallowing the drool that was accumulating in his mouth instead.

Beaming at his father and sister, he took his seat at the table and began to eat the delicious meal with them.

As soon as breakfast was finished, and the dishes were cleared, Michelangelo was ushered into the main room by Karai. "Come on, come on! It's present time!" She insisted impatiently, practically shoving him into the pit. She snatched up the present she had brought, and shoved it into his hand with an eager grin on her face.

It was funny seeing her so cheerful. Sure, she had always been somewhat playful in her interactions with Mikey and his brothers before everything went wrong. And since she started bonding with Michelangelo and Splinter, her softer side had begun to emerge more and more as the months went by. The childlike glee she was emitting now was something new though. " _She's a giver._ " He realized as he began to tear the wrapping paper off of the package. " _She's like me. She likes studying people and figuring them out. Getting them the perfect present, without even asking what they want, excites her._ " A wide smile spread across his face when he finished removing the paper and saw what it was she had gotten for him. "You rock, Karai!"

The Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection boxset practically glowed in his hands as he picked it up, and stared at it in awe. 48 hours, contained on 21 disks, of classic horror films at his fingertips begging to be watched. "I love the classics! It'll be so rad to watch these!" Grinning wildly at her, he snatched her arm, and dragged her to the couch to sit down. "We're having a marathon, pronto!"

They had gotten through 'The Mummy', 'Frankenstein', and 'The Invisible Man' before their growling stomachs forced them to take a break for lunch.

"It seems like a nice day outside." Splinter remarked when they came into the kitchen. He was going to make tea, but decided it could wait until later. "Shall we go out for lunch, and enjoy the weather?"

More than happy to spend the afternoon topside with his father, Mikey was quick to agree with the suggestion. It was a very pleasant day outside when they emerged, and they took advantage of it. The temperature was perfect, and hints of autumn made itself known with some of the leaves on the trees showcasing the familiar hues of red, yellow, and orange. Good food was enjoyed, shops were visited, street musicians were listened to with great appreciation and paid well for their art, and then the trip closed with a visit to Central Park.

Karai parted ways with them apologetically, due to work-related obligations that she had to attend to. Which left the father and son alone with each other's company as they headed back home.

"The weather is totally perfect today." Remarked Michelangelo, as he snatched up a leaf that had begun to float by his head. "Blue skies, awesome looking clouds, good food, rad music, friendly peeps, the perfect temp, and getting to, you know, spend time with you for a bit, just the two of us…I wish it could always be like this."

"That would be nice." Splinter admit as he led the way through the park. Towards the area where the classical concerts were usually held. He glanced at the storm grate that he had, hidden in darkness, sat beneath to listen to those concerts with his friend over the years. "But a change of scenery is good once in a while, don't you think?"

"Totally," the teen agreed. "I see what you're getting at. Even the super nice moments frozen in time would lose its special warm and fuzzies after a while if things were always like that and nothing ever changed. Like, the monkey wrenches life throws at us aren't always nice, sometimes they're downright cruel…but it keeps things interesting, gives you a good challenge once in a while, and makes moments like today way more enjoyable and valuable in the long run." He grinned up at his father as he realized something. "Oh man! We just had a father-son life lesson bonding moment, didn't we? Nice! I was wondering if I was ever going to get one of those with you!"

Splinter blinked, surprised by the remark.

At first, he wasn't sure what his son was referring to. Then he recalled many moments over the years when he had sat down and had private discussions with his other three sons, and even recently with Karai, when he felt they were struggling and in need of his guidance. He realized that Michelangelo was right. They had never shared such a moment before. Even during his youngest's recovery, in a coma after he had stumbled home and collapsed the moment he reached the turnstiles, his focus had been tugged towards his daughter when she came to him seeking comfort over the ugly truth she had uncovered about the man who had raised her.

Michelangelo had never seemed spurned by the lack of attention from his father. If anything, he enthusiastically encouraged the growing bond between Splinter and Karai. But, the rat scolded himself as he studied his son, that didn't mean his attention wasn't desired from his youngest.

He had recently gone to the surface to attend Michelangelo's dance competition, which he knew his son was overjoyed about. But one instance of showing his support wasn't the same as spending some quality time with his son, and Splinter knew it.

"Shall we retire home, and enjoy the cake your sister bought us?" Splinter asked as they approached the park's hidden entrance to the world below that Vincent sometimes used. The childish grin he got in response answered his question, and made him laugh.

And so, they returned to the Lair to enjoy Karai's good taste in bakeries. The frosted velvet cake was delicious. It quickly became another recipe that Michelangelo was determined to replicate himself in the near future.

He excused himself, after cleaning the plates, to head off into the main room to continue the movie marathon, when a polite cough from his father stopped him in his tracks. "Is something wrong, Sensei?"

The rat smiled warmly at him, and held out a carefully wrapped package. "Happy Mutation Day, my son."

The turtle beamed, as he happily accepted the gift and quickly removed the paper. Grinning, with a hint of surprise, at what he discovered within. "Painting supplies! How'd you know I was interested in taking up painting?"

"I noticed you've been watching 'The Joy of Painting" on Hulu lately, which led me to believe you may have been entertaining the idea of taking up the craft as a hobby." Splinter explained with a smile, as he walked over to the fridge and pulled down the small canvases he had hidden on top of it. Handing one over to his son, and keeping the other one for himself. "I thought, perhaps, it is a pastime we could enjoy doing together."

The way the turtle's face lit up confirmed his father's suspicious, and reinforced his earlier shame that he had failed to notice how much his son desired his attention and to spend alone time with him. Painting together, he felt, was a good step in the right direction to fix his unintentional past neglect.

So he followed his son's lead, with a pleased smile on his face, to the main room and down into the pit. Watching as the teenager turned the TV on and signed into the streaming service. The turtle quickly selected the relaxing painting series, and then handed the controller to his father. Insisting that Splinter pick the episode he wanted to paint.

Setting up their canvases, and laying out their supplies, the pair listened attentively to the laid back instructions from Bob Ross and began to paint a picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some long overdue father and son bonding between Mikey and Splinter, especially since we don't have any bonding scenes or lesson scenes between them in the show at all!
> 
> Well, this marks the end of this story's introduction; concluding the first year of Mikey's life after the loss he suffered and the fall of the Kraang/the Foot.
> 
> I hope folks reading this have been enjoying it so far! Let me know what you think of it so far if you've got the time!


	7. Enlightenments

**Thursday October 31, 2019**

"So, as I was asking before that timer went off, how have you been lately?" Asked Jacob, as he accepted the concoction his young friend handed to him. He had no idea what it was, but he had learned a long time ago that Splinter's youngest was gifted in the art of cooking, especially now that he had full access to the city's grocery stores and markets, and it worth trying out his dishes and drinks when they were offered. With a brow raised in curiosity, he took a sip. Sputtering at the strength of the alcohol he wasn't expecting to taste. "Mikey! I'm still doing your medical exam!"

"Off the clock, as I'm running around prepping for a totally rad movie-marathon party." Michelangelo pointed out with a cheeky grin as he took a peek at the stuffed pumpkin that was currently baking in the oven. The pumpkin bread and fresh whipped cream were already prepped and waiting in the fridge, as was a pitcher of the cocktail he had given the doctor. Once the stuffed pumpkin was done cooking, it was off to Karai and Kitsune's apartment for the get together they were hosting in roughly a half hour. "So, what do ya think dude? Is the anise flavor too strong?"

"No," Jacob assured him. He took another sip, and let it sit in his mouth for a moment before swallowing to get a gauge of the flavors. He could taste lemon alongside the licorice, as well as a hint of cherry. "It's very good, but just a tad strong in the alcohol department."

"Sweet, that's just how Karai likes it!"

"How is your sister, by the way? I don't think I've seen her since last Thanksgiving."

"She's doing good!" The turtle replied happily, there was a familiar excitement dancing in his eyes as he hopped up onto the stool across from Jacob. The turtle took a sip from the glass of water he had been drinking periodically during his dashes across the kitchen during the cooking process, and then dove into an explanation for his excitement. "This is their six-year anniversary ya know. They met at a Halloween concert I took Karai to, and have been dating since then." He rested his chin on both hands, practically shaking with bottled up excitement. "I'm pretty sure Karai's gonna propose to Kitsune tonight! Like 99.99999% sure of it! That's why I want the food and drink to be extra perfect. Man, I hope she likes it!"

"I'm sure she will," the doctor chuckled. Putting aside his drink, and studying his young friend. "So, again, how've you been? Have there been any panic attacks or nightmares in the past few months since your own anniversary in March? Are the holistic methods still working well for you?"

Michelangelo sat up and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Displeased with the abrupt turn in the conversation, while silently reminding himself that he was still technically having an appointment with Jacob and that this question was bound to be asked. "I'm fine," he replied breezily. Getting up to check the pumpkin again. Then he set to work on re-cleaning the counters, eager for a distraction so he wouldn't have to face Jacob's inquisitive gaze.

"I need you to elaborate a bit more, Mikey."

"I do still get the nightmares, but I've had them linger this long in the past too so I don't think it's a big deal."

"Oh, please don't get all tough secretive loner on me, kid. It doesn't suit you! Besides, you wouldn't accept that answer if your father or Karai replied so nonchalantly to the same question," Jacob pointed out with a little shake of his head as he straightened up in his seat. After an awkward moment of silence he decided to take another sip of his drink, and swirled the glass a little in his hand. "Sorry, that was kinda snippy of me…but your mental health is a big deal, Mikey. It's just as important as your physical health. So, if the holistic treatment is starting to wear off then I need to know so I can help you."

"I'm not going to the EPF clinic, Jay." Insisted Michelangelo, with a hint of anger in his voice. "That's, like, one of my biggest triggers!"

"You wouldn't have to," the doctor reassured him. "We can continue to conduct your visits the same way we have been over the years. Off the clock for me, in the privacy and safety of your home. But as I said, if the treatment you are currently on isn't working for you anymore, then changes to that treatment would need to be made."

"I can't afford pharmaceuticals, and I don't want you getting into trouble to do me a favor trying to get me on them." The mutant argued as he wrung out the damp cloth he was using, and hung it over the sink's faucet to dry. Sitting back down across from the man who had been a cousin of sorts to him growing up, he snatched up his companion's glass and took a sip for himself. He made a face at the strength of the alcohol, and put the glass back down. He felt the tingle of heat linger in his throat and a light buzz wash over him. "Okay, yeah that's a bit overkill, I'll have to water the pitcher down a smidge before I head out." He forced his attention back onto the real topic at hand, and looked the doctor in the eye again. "Sorry dude. Anyway, if I'm honest…I just don't like the idea of using meds. Supplements are one thing; I have no problem with taking those. I'm not BS-ing you here Jay, I really do feel that they're helping. So I'd rather make adjustments to what does work, and try other alternative methods you think may help too, than take drugs that may or may not help me. Save the meds for the people who are worse off than me, okay? I've been dealing with this just fine the way we've been doing it, let's not mess that up. Please?"

Dr. Chandler stared back, silent for a moment as he assessed the situation and the history of his patient. Then he nodded his head in agreement. "Alright, we'll try adjusting the supplements you've been taking and see where that goes. How does that sound?"

"Just peachy to me, doc." Mikey relaxed a little, and a smile of gratitude flickered onto his face. "Thanks, man."

The oven's timer went off; signaling the end of the conversation, and the appointment, as the young chef went to work with putting on the final touches. Packing everything together securely in a thermal bag, and leading the family friend to the exit.

"We'll talk again next week, okay?" Said Jacob, giving Michelangelo a significant look.

They shook hands, sealing the deal, and then parted ways.

* * *

 

"Hey, cutie! You're right on time, three o'clock on the dot! Come on inside," Kitsune greeted Michelangelo when she opened the door of the lavish apartment she shared with his sister. Saki had raised Karai to be a smart business woman in addition to a skilled and deadly kunoichi, and his teachings had paid off once Karai entered the business field. Her fashion sense, apartment, and choice of entertainment and dining were clear statements of the wealthy lifestyle she lived. "We've had some early arrivers, and the snacks have already taken a hit, so that delicious smelling baked pumpkin is just on time!"

The young woman led him across the open concept apartment, through the dining area, and into the kitchen where they placed his carefully constructed dish in the oven to keep it warm until everyone was ready to eat a sweet dessert. "One of the early birds brought pizza, but there's also some Thai food from that new place that just opened up a couple of weeks ago so you're covered." She grinned when he handed her the pitcher, and snatched a couple of plastic cups off the counter top. Pouring herself a glass, and taking a generous sip, she flashed him a wicked smile with an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Nice! This is going to be a hit tonight too, I can tell! Thanks, cutie."

"No problem, Kitsune." Replied Mikey a little sheepishly. "Hey, thanks for ordering other stuff besides pizza. I'm not much of a pizza lover, so I appreciate that."

"Anything for you, hon!"

"Mikey, you're finally here!" Karai yelled when she exited the bedroom; she was wearing a fairly impressive Xena costume, and was gesturing at the bookshelf by the enormous TV with a sizeable collection of DVDs on it. "You're the king of horror, so go pick out the first movie!"

"I'm on it, sis!"

He wound up settling on first two Evil Dead movies, because it wasn't a Halloween party without watching those movies so it made sense to start there. He got nods of approval from everyone currently present as they migrated into the living room area and piled on and around the couch. Getting settled with their snacks and each other as Michelangelo popped in the disc.

Once the group plowed through the movies, with newcomers filing into the apartment periodically while they were playing and helping themselves to the food and drinks before getting settled themselves, the party-goers held a vote on what to watch next as people came and went to go to the bathroom and get refills on their drinks.

"Shouldn't we watch Halloween, since it's, you know, Halloween?" One of Kitsune's friends suggested.

There were mixed replies in response.

"How about Hocus Pocus?" This time it was Karai who threw the idea out there. "I don't know about you guys, but I watch that every year."

"We watched it last night," Kitsune informed them.

"So? I could watch that a hundred times and never get tired of it."

"I know!"

"I've never seen that one," admit Michelangelo. Curious about the movie now after seeing how enthusiastic Karai was about it.

His sister beamed, and pulled out her DVD. "Well, that settles it! Hocus Pocus wins!"

An hour and a half later, the turtle had decided that the fun movie about the scary yet goofy Sanderson sisters was definitely a classic that he would without a doubt be watching every year. There was only one thing about it that had really bothered him, simply because he didn't understand why all the characters made such a big deal over it. "Why was everyone ragging on Max for being a virgin? I mean, I get that they were harassing him for being the one to light the black flame candle…but it felt like they were also mocking him for his virginity too. Why did it matter so much that he hadn't had sex yet? Who cares?"

"Eh, it's just society expectations baloney." One of Karai's friends complained as he picked at the food on his plate. "For some reason if a dude doesn't have sex the second he becomes a teenager then he's not man enough or people think he's weird or something's wrong with him. It's totally lame. Especially with all that double standard crap girls have to put up with."

"It really isn't a big deal if you've had sex or not." Remarked Karai as she sauntered back into the room with beer for herself and Kitsune. "And you don't need to explain to anyone your reasons why you haven't done it yet. You want to wait for marriage? Good for you. Want to wait for the right person? That's great too. You just plain aren't interested. That's totally fine, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"

"Why wouldn't you be interested though?" The same friend asked, honestly curious. "I know there are some people who choose to be celibate for religious reasons…but that's not really a lack of interest, that's just a personal choice!"

"Not everyone's wired the same way." Kitsune informed him, while looking like she was gearing up to unload a speech if need be. "Some guys are sexually attracted to girls only, and vice versa. Some girls are sexually attracted to other girls only, while some guys are only attracted to other guys. Some folks are attracted to both guys and girls, and some folks are attracted to everyone. And then there's the folks who aren't sexually attracted to anyone. Thus, the lack of appeal to engage in it!"

Enthralled with the topic of the conversation, Michelangelo found himself very intrigued by what she had just said. He felt like she was decoding a mystery for him that he had been afraid to ask anyone about.

"That's not really a thing."

"You're looking right at one, James." Kitsune did a little twirl, and curtsied. "The term's asexuality."

"I still don't get it; how is that possible?"

She smiled patiently at her ill-informed friend, and pointed directly at him. "You like the ladies, right?"

He nodded.

"You get all hot and bothered over them right?"

He nodded again.

"Are you bi?"

He shook his head.

"So, you don't get all hot and bothered over guys then, right? It's just the ladies you get all flustered over?"

He nodded his head once more.

"Well, there you go. Looking at other men does nothing for you whatsoever, and that's exactly how it is for me too…just, you know, with everyone. I mean, I can admire a beautiful looking woman or man, just as someone were to admire the beauty of artwork or nature. I just don't get the sexual arousal other people experience when they're attracted to someone. I honestly have no idea what that would even feel like. The concept of being sexually attracted to someone is just as bizarre to me as my lack of sexual attraction to other people sounds bizarre to you."

Feeling a little more enlightened, but still a little confused, James cautiously glanced over at Karai with a look of puzzlement still present on his face. "So, um, if Karai's a lesbian, and you're dating her, then how does that work?"

"We make it work," Karai replied as she took her seat. "And we respect each other in the process." Her tone indicated she wanted the topic dropped.

Michelangelo didn't blame her. Whether or not the two of them had sex wasn't anyone's business but their own. Although he could see that James was still confused. Mikey, on the other hand, was feeling enlightened. Kitsune talking about her sexuality lit up a light-bulb in his head, and finally gave him a label to identify himself as. Because what she had described fit the bill perfectly.

He admit that he was curious about sex, and would give it a go if the opportunity presented itself to him; cautiously, of course, since the current anti-human/mutant consensus among the general public was an unfortunate challenge at the moment for the humans and mutants engaged in a relationship. But he didn't desire sex the way his brothers had once puberty started to set in on them. He realized a long time ago that he wasn't like Leo and Donnie, but that he wasn't like Raph either. For a long time, he wondered if there was something wrong with him.

Mikey knew he was a little naive, but he wasn't blind. He saw the way his brothers got flustered around April and Karai. He overheard his bothers discuss the things they dreamed of doing with them, while Raph scoffed and harshly remarked that they didn't stand a chance with the girls they were gaga over. But unlike them, he just never felt those longings. Now he knew why.

" _They really did baby me_ ," thought Michelangelo with a sad smile as he recalled how often he overheard their adult conversations, and how his brothers would lower their voices when they noticed him listening nearby. They seemed to forget that he was the same age as them, and were always treating him like a little kid.

He remembered how overprotective the three of them had been over him, almost smothering, because he was the youngest, hatching last, and smallest of the siblings. He remembered, with budding resentment, how often they tried to keep him in the dark about the truths of the world as they entered their teenage years.

With a flicker of anger, he remembered all too clearly the embarrassment he felt when he finally learned some of those truths, the hard way, after getting himself acquainted with the surface world. Learning the innocence-shattering truth about Santa and leprechauns, which his brothers had shared sly grins with each other over the years whenever he mentioned the topics, but never took the time to set him straight about them. Discovering that the awful smells in some of the sewer tunnels were indeed from human waste, and the embarrassed anger he felt when he remembered how Donnie had assured him he had just dreamed that up after being knocked out in a fight with Snakeweed.

He couldn't help but wonder if his brothers had intended to simply preserve his naïve innocence for as long as they could…or if they were really just maintaining his ignorance for the sake of their own amusement?

" _That doesn't matter now_ ," he scolded himself. Putting on a smile when he noticed Karai watching him, and getting up to get another drink for himself. This time he snatched up a bottle of hard cider, figuring it would go nicely with the baked pumpkin as he took it out of the oven after realizing that they had never taken it out. After a quick check, he was happy to discover it hadn't dried out after sitting in the oven at its lowest setting for the past few hours. As the delightful smells teased his senses, he placed the slices of pumpkin bread onto the plates and started scooping the warm baked pumpkin on top. Completing the dishes with generous dollops of the fresh whipped cream he had made. He was greeted with pleased grins, and various compliments, when he returned to the living room to hand out the dessert to Karai's other guests. " _My bros are gone, and it's not fair to their memory to be mad about something that can't be changed now_."

Everyone got settled as Kitsune selected the next pair of movies to watch. The 90s remake of 'The Mummy', and its immediate sequel 'The Mummy Returns'.

Mikey caught the look in Karai's eye as her girlfriend sat down beside her and began to dig into her plate, and felt a bubble of excitement flare up and take the place of the anger and resentment he had been trying to snuff out. She was going to pop the question soon, he just knew it! And as it turned out, his suspicions were spot on. As Rick O'Connell and Evelyn Carnahan rode, camel back, into the Egyptian sunrise as the first of the two movies came to its conclusion, Karai pulled out a small box and kissed Kitsune's forehead. Whispering the famous question as her lover accepted the box and opened it with a dazzled grin.

There were cheers and congratulations from the partygoers as Kitsune screeched her joyful response.

The group sat and enjoyed the second movie, with the undercurrent of wedding excitement in the air, and then everyone mutually agreed to call it a night. Some wandered to the bathroom and guestroom to get changed into pajamas, while others collected their bags and keys and waved their goodbyes.

"Are you staying the night, little brother?"

Yawning, Michelangelo shook his head and gathered up his things. He was tempted to, but wanted to get home and share the good news with their father. "Naw, sorry sis. Gotta work tomorrow, and don't want to throw off my getting ready for work groove if I can avoid it."

"You're working tomorrow? Why didn't take the day off so you could recuperate? It's almost midnight, Mikey!"

He rolled his eyes playfully over her fussing, and kissed her forehead as he opened the door to leave. "I'm working the afternoon shift tomorrow; I've got plenty of time to catch up on my Z's before I have to hit the road. It's no biggie! I'll come visit you two lovebirds when I get out, okay?"

After another five minutes of congratulations, goodbyes, and platonic kisses with his sister and Kitsune, the young mutant finally left their apartment. Making his way to the building's roof, so he could race across the rooftops. It would be quicker than taking the streets, and he definitely wanted to get home fast to share his exciting news with their father. Although, he was sure the old rat already knew about Karai's proposal.

If his sister didn't tell him, then Mikey was sure their father had, like he had himself, deduced the life changing event was due to occur at any moment now.

"Hey Sensei, you still up?!" He asked as he entered the Lair; hopping up onto the railing at the top of the stairs and sliding down it like a child.

There was no answer, but when he rounded the corner and saw a light shining in the dojo he realized his father was meditating.

Knowing it was best not to interrupt the session, especially over exciting news that could easily wait until morning, the young turtle resisted the urge to burst into the room and backed away. He wandered into the kitchen, and scrawled a note on the whiteboard hanging on the fridge letting his father know he had come home and gone to bed. Then he left the kitchen with a yawn and drooping eyelids. "Night, Sensei." He said quietly over his shoulder as he passed by the dojo and entered the hallway where his own bedroom was. Stumbling inside, he carelessly removed and flung his clothes to the floor and pulled on his pajamas.

Crawling into bed with a smile on his face, and eagerly anticipating the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter didn't feel too much like me standing on a soapbox when the topic of sexuality came up. But I've always felt Mikey was asexual, and wanted to explore him making that realization about himself. Originally I was going to have him stumble across the term on Tumblr and do some research out of curiosity (which is how my experience with realizing I was asexual came about), but then felt a conversation among friends at a party would be a better way of bringing up the subject and discussing it.
> 
> I like writing Mikey hanging out with his sister and his friends, and have enjoyed writing Karai in these more relaxed settings too.
> 
> Hope everyone's enjoying the fic so far! Reviews are more than welcome! :)


	8. High Stakes

**Tuesday February 18, 2020**

Michelangelo had heard the angry mumbled demands of the punk when he entered the alleyway from the back entrance of the cab garage, but he still felt his blood freeze with fear at the sight that greeted him when he slowed down and cautiously peeked around the corner. Alex and Louie had left a minute or two before he had, and the pair were now surrounded by a group of ten men. Staring down the barrel of a gun with their hands raised up in the air in surrender.

"We aren't looking for any trouble." Alex calmly informed the weapon's owner, gesturing at the wallets that were being aggressively leafed through by the thug's associates. "Why don't you go ahead and keep those, and just let us go on our way."

Louie looked briefly outraged by his coworker's suggestion, until one of the other gang members stepped closer wielding a gun of his own at the two cabbies. That immediately silenced any nasty retort he had considered spewing at their confronters.

"What do ya think, Slim?" The other gunman, presumably the second in command of the gang, asked their leader. "Should we let the old farts go?"

Slim glanced over to the men holding the wallets, and calculated the earnings of their robbery as they were presented to him. "Well that doesn't look like much." He turned his icy gaze back onto the cabbies and gave them a slimy grin. "You fellas know where we might be able to get a larger score?" He glanced past them and jutted his chin towards the corner where the lights from the backside of the Sunshine Cab Company could still be seen, unaware of the anxious mutant turtle watching them from the shadows. "In there, maybe?"

"Yeah, sure!" Louie stammered, nodding his head enthusiastically with a nervous smile. "The deposit wasn't brought to the bank yet, there's plenty of what you're looking for in there. I could go in and get it for you!"

Michelangelo inched closer to the group, studying everything about them. Their positions, the type of weapons they had, how fast they could wield those weapons, and how fast things could get ugly if he didn't make the right move. As much as it killed him to wait, he held back his impulse to act in favor of letting things play out for just a little while longer. While he still actively continued to practice ninjitsu over the years, he hadn't been involved in a fight in a very long time. The lives of two people he cared about were involved, and with a couple of guns in the mix he didn't want to take any chances that may risk his friends.

The men wanted the money Louie was promising them, so at least one of the two men handling the guns was mostly likely going to want to escort his boss back into the building. Hopefully, whichever of them went would take a couple of the goons with them.

It would be easier for him to take out the gang without risk of endangering his coworkers if they were whittled down into two groups.

"You better not be lying!" Slim threatened Louie as he stepped forward and grabbed the short man roughly by the arm. He looked over at three of his men, and indicated for them to follow him. "Dante, Dominic, and Nathan: you three are with me. The rest of you stay with the scrawny one. Put him down if he tries anything funny."

The threat made Michlangelo's hands twitch for the weapon he hadn't carried in seven years. He cast a worried glance at Alex, and at the gun still pointed at his surrogate father. It took tremendous willpower to force himself to tear his eyes away and slink after the smaller group. Cutting off the head of the gang would make things go far smoother. That's the way it worked back when he was 15 and cleaning the streets of scumbags like these with his brothers by his side. He just hoped he could pull it off without his friends getting hurt. " _Leo would've been able to do this, no sweat._ "

He cautiously followed the group from the shadows, and gauged how alert each of the men were and how fast they could possibly react to a strike made on them. They were out of sight of the larger half of the group in no time, but it wasn't until they were far enough out of earshot that the young ninja made his move.

Sprinting forward silently, Michelangelo leapt gracefully into the air and flipped over the unsuspecting group. Landing ahead of them, in front of the gang leader. He took the man by surprise as he pulled Louie away from him and placed himself protectively between his boss and the gang members. Quick as lightning he reached out and grabbed the leader's wrist, snapping it with a quick rough twist before the trigger of the well-polished firearm could be pulled. He plastered his hand over the man's mouth to muffle the scream of surprised pain, and then flung him into the three goons he had accompanying him as they tried, and failed, to help their leader. The scrawny men toppled into each other like dominoes. If the situation wasn't as high stakes as it was, he might have had a chuckle at their expense.

The quartet untangled themselves from each other and scrambled back to their feet. With four bruised egos in agreement with one another, they circled the turtle. They were eager for a rematch and thought they stood a better chance now that they were united. But he saw every move they made coming, and dodged their strikes with ease. Quickly knocking their weapons out of their hands, he snatched up the pipes, bats, and knives before they hit the ground and tossed them aside onto some plush looking garbage bags. Left with only their fists to work with, the group attempted to take him on in a brawl. He almost pitied them, it amused him that they still didn't realize what they were up against and clearly had wishful thinking of how things were going to play out. But then he remembered the guns being pointed at Alex and Louie, and his humor and sympathy towards the men evaporated.

The scuffle was very brief, and in no time the four men were unconscious. Their hands and feet were bound by the shoelaces of their own boots in seconds, and their socks stuffed into their mouths to muffle their attempts to shout for backup if they were to wake up before he could take out the rest of their gang.

The entire ordeal had been pulled off effectively, and, much to the young mutant's pride and relief, had gone unnoticed by the larger half of the gang that still had Alex as their captive.

"What the hell just happened?" Shouted Louie in disbelief, only to find his mouth quickly covered by Michelangelo's hand to silence his loud question.

With a palm still placed over his boss's mouth to keep the man's oblivious rambling quiet, the turtle used his free hand to grab at the jacket and shirt collars of the four unconscious men and drag the entire group further into the shadows of the alley. Keeping everyone hidden in case Louie's exclamation was heard and one of the remaining gang members ventured forth to peek around the corner and investigate. It wasn't until a few minutes of cautious silence passed, when it became obvious that the shout hadn't been heard by the rest of the group, that he pulled his hand away with a grimace. Wiping his boss's spit off of his palm and onto his jeans. "What the hell Louie?" He whispered heatedly, as he cast another anxious glance at the corner of the alleyway where the rest of the gang was waiting. "Are you trying to get Alex killed?"

"No," Louis hissed back. Looking mildly offended by the question. "I was just unable to contain my shock in discovering that we've had our very own Chris Bradford driving cabs with us for the past seven years."

"Don't compare me to that scumbag," snarled Michelangelo. Immediately feeling bad for snapping at his ill-tempered boss when he saw the flicker of surprised hurt spring to the man's face. "Sorry, it's not your fault. You didn't know, but Bradford's a total jerk and a really bad dude." He hesitated to elaborate further, and started gathering things he could use in his attack on the larger group. But he could tell from the way the short man watched him that his boss had easily figured out it was a little more personal than that. "…When I was 15 he faked being my friend to try and get to my family, because he just so happened to be the right hand man to the Shredder and that creep had a death wish against my dad."

Louie recognized the alias. That's the name the media had used in their stories about Saki Oroku after his involvement in the failed alien invasion was made public and he was arrested. He didn't realize the washed up action movie legend was associated with the crime boss.

"I didn't know that though; all I knew was the simple fact that Chris Bradford was the coolest dude ever, and that he had decided to be friends with a freak like me. So, like the total idiot that I am, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I got myself kidnapped, and my brothers had to come and rescue me."

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself kid. You didn't know. Most people these days don't either, since the media apparently never caught wind of that little tidbit." Louie reassured him with a chuckle. A mischievous grin blossomed on the short man's face at the thought of the media circus that information would have caused if it had ever come out. "Those bozos would have had a field day with that. I'm surprised none of them ever dug that up, especially with the way he dropped off the face of the planet a while ago."

"Well, it's kinda hard to keep up appearances when you accidentally get yourself mutated while trying to kill a bunch of 15 year olds to impress your boss, and then got carted off with your boss when he got arrested for treason against the entire planet."

Louie's eyes bulged with surprise. "He was one of those mutants?"

Michelangelo nodded, with a little smile at the comical expression on his boss's face.

"Which one?"

"The giant Akita."

"The pooch?!" Louie couldn't help but laugh at the memory of the Shredder's henchmen being showcased on the local news as they were carted off by the EPF. Although this time he managed to keep the volume of his amusement at a safely low pitch. "The one with the goofy mustache that looked like he was pumped up on steroids? Oh, that's rich!"

"Yeah," giggled Michelangelo as he leaned back and smiled at the memory of his once idol. "That mustache of his was pretty goofy looking."

Although he would never admit it out loud, Louie was glad to see the more carefree expression back on the young cabbie's face. It bothered him to see the kid so spookily serious, and he really didn't like to hear the kid be so down on himself like that.

In seconds, though, the mutant's good humor faded away. And the seriousness that Louie was so unaccustomed to returned. "Get back inside the garage, boss." Michelangleo instructed him quietly, as he gathered up everything he thought he could utilize in the attack. "Lock the doors when you get inside, tell anyone you run into in there to stay low and keep quiet, and go hide in your office with that door locked too. Keep the lights off, and don't move around too much. Call the cops, and stay inside until they get here. Okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." The short man began to scurry towards his salvation, but then came to a hesitant stop. Turning, and looking back at his young cab driver. "Hey. You be careful playing hero, okay?"

Michelangelo gave his boss a thumbs up and a reassuring smile. He didn't budge from the spot until he watched the man go inside, and heard the faint click of the door being locked again. Then he slipped away into the darkness, back to the group that still held Alex captive.

"What's taking so damn long?" He heard one of the lackeys' whine impatiently as he got closer. "You don't think Slim and the others ran into trouble, do ya?"

"With the piece Slim's carrying? Doubt it." The temporary leader replied in a bored tone. "If that guy was stupid enough to cause trouble, I guarantee we would have heard him go down."

"Old Lou's the king of self-preservation, fellas." Alex informed them in an attempt to soothe their growing nerves, as well as his own. "Trust me, he's got no problem doing whatever your boss asks him to do."

"So if Slim told him to put on a sheep costume and do the lamby lamby dance, he'd do it?"

"Shamelessly."

The gang members shared a chuckle over that. One of them had suggested placing bets on what Louie would be willing to do for his freedom, when a trash can lid came flying through the air and knocked the gun right out of the second in command's hands.

"What the f-"

Another lid flew out of the darkness and hit the acting leader's jaw just as he was about to finish uttering the expletive, making him stumble sideways in his surprise. Nursing the side of his face, he watched in complete shock as quick work was made of the other five men. Baffled, he found himself to be the last one standing. Recovering his senses with this realization, the man made a move to recover his discarded firearm, but Michelangelo snatched it up quicker than he could blink.

"Tsk, tsk. Didn't your mother ever tell you playing with guns was a bad idea?" The turtle asked with a cheeky grin, as he emptied the weapon of its ammunition and tossed it aside. "You could shoot somebody's eye out with that thing!" He punched the man hard in the face, knocking him out cold. "Okay, I gotta admit, the cheesy heroic lines are fun to say. No wonder Leo loved spitting them out whenever we had confrontations with the bad guys!" In seconds he had tied the remaining gang members up with their own shoelaces, just as he had done with the others. Immediately turning his attention onto his friend next. "Are you okay, Alex?"

The older cab driver merely stared at him in dismay. Finding himself at a complete loss of words over what to say in response to what he had just gone through and witnessed. "I know you told me you were raised as a ninja, but this…"

"Seeing it in action's a little more intense than hearing about it, huh?"

"Well, that sums it up pretty accurately." The old man agreed with a laugh, feeling relief flare up within him at the sound of sirens in the distance.

"Thanks, Louie." Michelangelo murmured when he heard it too, smiling at Alex as he locked eyes with his friend. "You took all this pretty well, actually. You should have seen how he reacted!" He giggled at the memory. Finding humor in it now that the danger had passed. "If Louie's eyes bulged even wider, I think they would have popped right out of his head."

A sound caught Michelangelo's ear. Off in the darkness of the alleyway behind Alex, who was now standing by the corner that led back to the cab company. An icy feeling swept through him for a moment when, in the light of the nearby street lamp, he saw the telltale glint of metal.

Lunging forward in reaction, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Reaching Alex's side, he gently grabbed his surrogate father's shoulders and spun the two of them around. Placing himself in the line of possible fire, and in a position to shield the man if the gun went off. He shoved his friend with a little more force than he intended to; toward the alley's exit where it opened up to the street, where the streetlight seemed to beam down on his friend like a beacon of hope. Then he turned towards the darkness and faced the threat, readying himself to strike, as the gang's leader emerged from the shadows with a furious snarl on his face and wielding his polished firearm once more.

With fury and adrenaline shooting through him like quick fire, Michelangelo reacted. He grabbed at the gang leader's swollen and purple wrist with one hand, and snatched the one wielding the gun with his other hand. Angrily dragging the uninjured hand down just as the trigger was pulled. Realizing, with increasing horror that mingled with his fury over his family being threatened, that if he was a moment slower then the bullet may have struck Alex. With a cry of anger he head-butted the man harder than he needed to, squeezed his injured wrist with far more strength than necessary, and then flung him into the brick wall to their right.

Michelangelo's anger dissipated for a moment, when the man seemed to be slumped a little too still up against the wall. But then he heard the murmured sobs of pain, and watched his enemy tenderly cradle his sure to be broken wrist to his chest. "You're just lucky I'm not Raph." He informed the thug as he picked up the firearm, emptied it of its ammunition like he had with the other one, and flung the small pieces of metal into the nearby dumpster. "He probably wouldn't have held back at all if you pulled that little stunt with him."

"M-Mikey."

Frightened by the tone of his friend's voice, the mutant stumbled as he turned to face Alex. Quickly, in a complete panic, scanning the older man for any signs of a bullet wound. He let out a shaky sigh of relief when he realized there was nothing out of place about his friend's appearance. That he was, in fact, unharmed. So why did he look so pale? "Are you okay, Alex?" He took a step forward, and fought off the wave of dizziness that swept over him. Barely noticing the burning sensation radiating through his left leg. "You're safe now. It's okay! I got him, and everything's going to be alright."

He was about to take another step forward when, suddenly and much to his confusion, the world tilted on him. His left leg had given out, and with the adrenaline wearing off he was too weak to stop himself from collapsing to the ground.

"Mikey!"

Blearily eyeballing the wad of chewed gum he had narrowly missed faceplanting into, Michelangelo found his world altering once more as he felt himself be tugged and rolled over onto his shell. Alex's face, filled with the same panic and terror that he himself had felt just moments ago when he was worried the older cabbie had been shot, hovered over his own.

"It's going to be okay, Mikey." Alex was reassuring him with a tremor in his voice as he put pressure onto the turtle's burning leg. It took the mutant a hazy few moments to notice the blood on his friend's hands, and then a moment more to realize it was his own blood. "The cops are almost here, and they're going to get you some help. You just have to hang on for me, okay?"

Offering his friend a weak reassuring smile, Michelangelo did his best to comply with the man's request. Struggling to stay focused as he watched Alex keep pressure on the wound with one hand, and cautiously lift the wounded leg.

"Now's not the time to zone out, Mikey!" A familiar voice snapped at him.

Blinking in confusion, the turtle turned to the sound of the voice. Leonardo was giving him a disapproving glare. He hated it when Leo did that, it always made him feel so small. "Huh?"

"We need to stick to the plan. We don't have time for your games."

"But I'm not playing around, I swear!" Michelanglo protested, looking back over his shoulder. " _Wait, wasn't I just in an alleyway bleeding out from a leg wound?_ " Tightening his grip on his kusarigama in anticipation, he re-lived the disappointment of discovering that the weird spider-like thing he had seen crawling on the ceiling behind them was no longer there. " _Oh I get it, the Greatest Hits thing is going on, huh? Well, why is my brain showing me this? This sucked. Nothing about this memory screams Great to me. What the hell?_ " His awareness that he was reenacting a memory was rapidly losing out to the pull of being completely absorbed by it. It slowly snuffed out the light sensation of being shaken by the shoulder, and the emotional shouts from both Alex and Louie faded softly. He was submerged completely in the memory of being 15, becoming increasingly frustrated with the mission he was on with his brothers.

Panic latched onto him when he couldn't see any signs of the spider-thing that he had only moments before spotted crawling across the ceiling, and he started forward to go look for it. He had a bad feeling over what might happen if he didn't.

"Where you do think you're going, lame brain?" Raphael grumbled as he grabbed at the youngest turtle's arm and pulled him back with the group. "What did Leo just say?"

"I saw a spider thing on the ceiling over there, it was totally watching us!"

His older brothers groaned and rolled their eyes at his protest, tugging him along as they moved on down the corridor as quickly as they could. Slipping back into the shadows when they came across another air duct around the next corner.

"I hate being exposed like that." Raphael complained in an annoyed whisper once they had all safely climbed up inside it. "I wish we could just go in there and kick butt."

"It'll be hard to maintain the element of the surprise if we rush in like a bunch of amateurs." Snapped Donatello as he studied his scanner, leading the brothers through the air duct. "We can't screw this up guys. They're bringing something big through that portal tonight, remember? April's counting on us!"

"And, you know, the entire freaking planet."

"Yes, Raph, I'm well aware of that!" The brainy turtle argued, flustered by the silent implication that he only cared about April.

"Can we not do this right now?" Leonardo complained at the two of them, fed up with the bickering. "We need to-"

Suddenly, much to everyone but Michelangelo's bafflement, the Kraang alarm system went off.

" **The ones known as the turtles have infiltrated the building identified as the Techno Cosmic Research Industries. Kraang are required to detain the intruders until the device known as the Technodrome arrives in this dimension in ten Earth minutes. Kraang has completed this transmission. Thank you, Kraang.** "

"What?!" Leonardo stammered, looking to Donatello for answers. "How did they know we were here?"

"Oh, let me ask Mikey's magic 8 ball. HOW SHOULD I KNOW?! I scrambled their security cameras and alarms, they shouldn't have been able to detect us at all!"

"I told you there was something up with that spider thing I saw." Michelangelo remarked, trying to resist sounding smug about it when it was clearly obvious now that he had been right to be worried about what he had seen back in the hallway. "Maybe if you guys listened to me for a change…"

"Shut it, Mikey." Raphael snapped as they rushed onward. "Quit being a brat, and let's go."

Tears stung in the youngest turtle's eyes as he followed his brothers. And he found himself wondering, for what felt like the hundredth time, when his brothers would get over their superiority complex and take him seriously.

"Okay, here's the new plan!" Leonardo announced as they came to a stop. Watching as a squad of Kraangbots ran through the corridor beneath them. "Mikey, I need you to give the Kraang the runaround while the rest of us try to get up to the top floor and into that main room. We don't have the element of surprise anymore, so the more of those aliens you keep busy the better. Got it?"

"Why am I always the bait? Why can't Raph do it, just once?"

"We don't have time for this Mikey!" Leonardo reprimanded, as he pointed at the vent hatch they were huddled around. "You're good at it, okay? Just go!"

Michelangelo bit down on his tongue hard. He was tired of being treated this way, but was also desperate to prove to his brothers that he could do this. Even if he was beyond sick and tired of being stuck on bait duty. With a bitter glance at his three older brothers, he flipped open the hatch and hopped down into the corridor below. Dashing down the hallway in the opposite direction, he almost missed Raphael's nasty remark in his wake. Almost.

"Being bait is all he's good at."

It wasn't the first time one of his brothers had insinuated that when they didn't think he could hear them.

He slowed for a moment, tempted to say something to his brother, and then increased his speed. Whooping and hollering down the hallway. Rapping his nunchucks against the wall as he ran. It didn't take long for a group of Kraang to swoop in on him, and he uncharacteristically welcomed them. Spinning around in mid-step, he extended the kusarigama blade and lashed out.

Their destructive dance seemed to carry on for hours to Michelangelo. He'd sprint off down a hallway for a little bit; throwing a few stars into the computers of one room he passed, tossing a couple of smoke bombs into another room. Doing what his older brothers so generously declared he did best. Distract the enemy, and wreak as much havoc in his wake as he possibly could.

If Leonardo wanted him to show the Kraang a good time, then he sure as hell would do just that.

As he cut down the last of the latest batch to try and chase him down, he paused to catch his breath. He looked back up, staring down at the long corridor to see the various abandoned Kraangbots scattered in pieces all the way to the very end, and felt a swell of pride blossom in his chest. Maybe he shouldn't have been so quick to get bent out of shape over his brother's mean-spirited remark. He actually was really good at doing this. Maybe his brothers, or at least Leonardo, had genuine faith in him as a member of the team after all.

He was about to start another round of chase the turtle when his t-phone started blaring from his belt. Still feeling a little bitter over how he had been treated earlier, Michelangelo considered ignoring the call. It would serve them right if they were getting worried about him. But then he scolded himself for entertaining the childish decision, and flipped open the phone. Pressing himself up against the wall, and keeping an eye out on both ends for any sign of more Kraang.

"Yeah?"

"Mikey!" Raphael yelled with relief unhidden in his voice. "Mikey, buddy, I need you to get the hell out of this building right now. I mean it!"

"What? Why?" The youngest asked, confused. Didn't they need him to keep the Kraang busy until they were done? Or did they successfully get into that room and set the bomb already? "Is it all set to go? Where do we meet outside?"

"I dunno, at Murakami's I guess." His brother snapped, sounding odd.

After a moment, as a ball of ice formed in his gut, Michelangelo slowly realized how anxious and frightened his brother truly sounded. Straining to make out what was going on in the background, he thought he heard their other two brothers talking to someone on their phones too. He didn't like it, something was wrong. "What's going on Raph, what aren't you telling me?"

"Just hurry up and get out of here, little brother! Go! Now!"

Before he could protest and demand some answers, the line went eerily dead. Not even a second later, a loud explosion from above made him jump and stumble on his feet. The entire building shook from the force of it. Michelangelo couldn't bring himself to do anything but stare at his phone with growing dread. " _Did…did I just listen to my brothers die?_ "

The building stop shaking, but the alarms were going off again. In the blink of an eye, an army of Kraang came marching down both ends of the hallway Michelangelo had stopped to answer the phone call in. Closing the phone shut slowly, with shaking hands, he numbly put the device away and reclaimed his weapon. Spinning it, along with its partner, with increasing speed as the onslaught of Kraangbots swarmed towards him.

" _No, they're not dead!_ " He told himself as he beat down the first wave that came at him. " _They can't be! I need to get through this crowd and get up there to help my bros pronto!_ "

Michelangelo had battled the Kraang admirably well, considering the shock he was in after such a startling phone call. But, eventually, the Kraang overwhelmed him with their never-ending numbers and took him captive. As he was forcibly dragged to his cell, he noticed one Kraang carrying a pile of broken and melted objects. Amongst the mangled mess he could make out what had once been Donatello's computer, the shattered remains of one of Leonardo's katana, and the melted mass that bore a slight resemblance to Raphael's sai.

The sickening image of the last remnants of his brothers, and the crystal clear memory of Raphael's last words to him, were forever seared in his memory.

Seven years later, as his mind slowly left the dreary memories of the past and became aware of the sounds of the present, he wondered if he would ever be free of them someday. Or was he destined to carry those haunting reminders of his failure to save his brothers for all eternity?

"Mikey?"

Cautiously, knowing he was bound to be blinded by the bright lights of the room, the young mutant slowly opened his eyes. Letting them adjust, and then opening them wider. Taking in the sights and sounds that greeted him. The room he was in was pleasant enough,almost homey, but the hammering of his heart revealed what he had clearly unconsciously known as he had recovered in his drug-induced slumber after the operation.

The building had been renovated, but he would always see it for what it had been back then.

" _Guess that explains the random trip down memory lane…_ " He thought; unintentionally whimpering as he weakly began to sit up.

"Hey, it's okay Mikey." A hand had reached out to grasp one of his own, and he blinked his eyes open once more to glance over at their owner. Alex, looking like he hadn't slept in far too long, smiled down warmly at him. Eyes bright with tears of relief.

"My son."

"Hey there, little brother."

He looked over to his right to see his father and sister beaming down at him. Looking just as tired and emotional as Alex was.

"Sorry for the scare, you guys." He murmured, his mouth felt dry and he desperately longed for a glass of water.

"We're just happy you're alive and well." Alex reassured him, with a little squeeze to Michelangelo's hand. "That bullet nicked a major artery in your leg. It was touch and go for a while there before they got you here."

After hearing the relieved voices of his family, his friends lingering in anxious wait in the hallway outside the room soon came spilling in to see him. He was smothered with cheerful hugs and happy tears; even from Louie, much to his surprise. And for a few flickering moments, being in the presence of his family and friends distracted him. That is until, in the trick of the light, he saw the spider-thing on the ceiling. He blinked it away, only to have it replaced by the hazy image of his brothers standing a few feet ahead of him, with annoyed and disappointed looks on their faces.

A shudder ran through him.

Seven years passing and some impressive renovation work wouldn't change the fact that this was the old TCRI building. It would always, for him, be the place where his brothers had died. The place where he failed to be good enough for his brothers. Where he failed to be there for them in those critical final moments, when his presence may have made a difference in the way the cards fell before the bomb had gone off. After all these years, he still bore the guilt. Wondering, as he often had, if he had tried a little harder to get them to listen to him then maybe something would have changed. Maybe they could have all walked out of the miserable building alive together.

He was caught up in the throes of a panic attack before he even knew what was happening.

"Hey, it's okay kid."

"It is alright, my son, you are safe now."

With tears streaming down his face, he allowed his loved ones to soothe away his anxieties and calm his hammering heart with gentle words that grounded him back to the present. He reminded himself once more that he couldn't change the past, and that he would have to live with what happened and move on. Just as he had been trying to do for the past seven years. The struggle he experienced in the process was, he felt, the price he had to pay for his failure to his brothers during that fateful mission.

They died, and he lived.

As far as he was concerned the suffering he endured as he moved on with his life was only fair.


	9. Overdue Conversations

**Wednesday February 19, 2020**

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Hamato. Although I do wish our reunion was brought about under less drastic circumstances."

The turtle's eyes shot open at the sound of the distantly familiar voice, and he blinked as he turned his head towards the door to take in the sight of the man in the black suit. He couldn't help but tense up in the presence of his unwelcome visitor.

It was bad enough he was stuck in the middle of the old TCRI building, frequently seeing and hearing the horrors from years past. Did he really have to put up with having small talk with the detestable government official too? "No offense, Agent B, but what's with the social call?" His frown deepened when the answer clicked into place. They hadn't spoken since the interview Bishop had given Mikey after he had woken up from his coma and was well enough to go topside again, which was years ago, so it wasn't like they had much of a relationship to connect them. So why would the man care about his brush with death a few hours earlier? The only logical conclusion to draw was that this wasn't about Mikey at all, this was about someone else altogether. "If you're hoping to 'run into' April while I'm here and try to sweet talk her into accepting your offer again, then you can walk back out that door right now because she isn't coming. We haven't talked in years, and even if we did I sure as hell wouldn't encourage her to change her mind about you!"

"You certainly know how to read people well, are you sure you're not a touch psychic?" John Bishop asked with an amused chuckle as he stepped further into the room, pretending not to notice the hostility Michelangelo was emanating towards him. "I should know better than to underestimate you, of course. After all, the Kraang did and look where that got them."

"We both know that wasn't really my victory to celebrate." The mutant scoffed as he fiddled with corner edge of the thin blanket he had draped over his waist, tensing up even more as the man stopped by his bedside to glance at the wounded leg.

"You need to start giving yourself a little credit, Michelangelo." The supportive reply came as a surprise to both of them. The agent was a hard man to work with, and an even harder man to like. He was cold and calculating; he wasn't one to express sympathies towards another living soul, nor was he known to be encouraging to anyone if it didn't ultimately serve his purposes. "I can understand that you don't want to steal your brothers' thunder in the wake of their sacrifice," he continued, "but at the end of the day it was your efforts that freed the Kraang's prisoners and exposed them to the public. Those dimension hopping monsters didn't see you coming! I couldn't have planned it better myself."

" _Wow, he must really want my help getting April to answer his calls…_ " Michelangelo thought irritably as he glared the man down. He found the compliments being showered on him by the agent insulting rather than flattering, and knowing what he knew about the man standing before him just made him angrier.

Years ago, in one of the last conversations they shared before she left the city with her father and disappeared from his life, April had told him about her own brief encounter with the agent. He had interviewed her as well after the Kraang had been taken down, and she had asked him if he knew why the aliens had wanted her so badly. He informed her that, according to the information his team had accumulated, it appeared the Kraang's interest in her was due to her dormant natural psychic abilities. It was an oddity that fascinated the Kraang, and if they caught a blip of that power in a human they captured them and locked them up along with the mutants they encountered or created themselves. After the fall of the Kraang the EPF had recruited several mutants and these special humans to join their organization to have their talents utilized in their mission to protect the planet from other potential invaders, and Bishop had made the same offer to April.

She had nearly accepted it, until he had let it slip how long his team had spent watching the Kraang.

Enraged by the revelation, she had stormed out. Mikey had shared her rage when she told him about the encounter, and it simmered under the surface in the years that followed. This confrontation was a long time coming. "Yeah, sure. You didn't have a plan, huh? You mean you weren't just sitting on the problem for as long as you could, waiting for the stakes to get just high enough so you could swoop in and save the day at the last minute to impress your bosses?"

Anger flickered to life on the agent's face in an instant. "You've got quite the imagination, but I'm not the villain you paint me to be in your head." Said the man with a touch of heat in his tone. He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets as his neutral expression slipped back onto his face. "Yes, we were monitoring the situation. But we had our own plan set in motion to thwart the Kraang's intentions that evening, it just so happens your brothers made their move first."

"Oh, give me a freaking break! You knew what was going on with the Kraang for months before my brothers and I ran into those creeps for the first time. Months!" Michelangelo yelled, leaning forward as he let his buried emotions take over. Everything he had wanted to scream at the man seven years ago, but couldn't because he was never given the opportunity to, came spilling out of him without restraint. "You sat around and watched while my brothers and I, a bunch of kids who were in WAY over our heads, ran around this city doing your job for you!"

"By doing what, exactly?" Bishop snapped in response with a brow raised condescendingly. It surprised Mikey to see the cool and collected agent on the defensive, he didn't think his angry words would strike a nerve so easily. "Throwing minor monkey wrenches into the Kraang's plans while simultaneously causing frequent property damage across the city and accidently creating mutants along the way? You call that a job well done?" A bitter laugh bubbled from the man, as he sneered the insult at the young mutant. "You were a bunch of bored and clueless children running around playing hero, and left chaos in your wake. Causing just as much harm as you did good. Yes, you four did a fantastic job protecting us all!"

Michelangelo had the decency to hang his head a little in shame, although that wasn't enough to simmer his temper as he processed the accusation. "Yeah, sure. We didn't handle the situation perfectly. Never said we did. But at least we were doing something! As far as we knew, we were the only ones taking a stand against the Kraang. It's not like we could call the cops and report it! April tried that when her dad got snatched and she wasn't taken seriously at all! But you knew! About the Kraang, about April, and about us and what we were trying to do! If you felt we were causing more harm than good then why didn't you step in and take the reins so stuff didn't get out of control? Why didn't you protect April and her dad?" Feeling drained, Michelangelo left his shoulders sag a little. He stared challengingly into the cold eyes of the government agent as he caught his breath and tried to get his temper in check.

"To be perfectly honest, some of your actions paid off in our favor." John Bishop begrudgingly admit after a moment, as he glanced over his shoulder towards the room's doorway. In seconds the anger he had briefly displayed dissipated, and was replaced with an earnestness that was equally strange to see coming from him. "The damaged Kraang droids you left in the wake of your battles, for example, proved useful to us in our goal to infiltrate their headquarters after they tightened their security. Your antics also kept them preoccupied on you, which worked in our favor from time to time as well."

In a perfectly clichéd manner, the agent pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he paused briefly in his explanation.

"As for Ms. O'Neil and her father, we did have a good deal of focus on them. We couldn't take her into protective custody because she was also a fantastic distraction for the Kraang. However; before you start making any accusations, I'd like to make it perfectly clear to you that we did make her safety a high priority. Whenever the Kraang seemed to be zeroing in on her, and the four of you weren't close enough to be able to help her, we did discreetly step in without giving ourselves away in the process. We did try to locate the holding cells during our infiltration so we could try to free her father and the others, but none of the bots we had access to had the clearance for those areas and we didn't want to blow our cover. We knew he wasn't being hurt, and knew that your brother, Donatello, was doing everything in his power to try and free Mr. O'Neil so that was not our top priority."

"So why didn't you clue us in then? Why keep us in the dark when we could have worked together?"

"In the beginning, you were surprisingly difficult to keep track of. Then, after a while, when you started getting sloppy and began drawing attention to yourselves, we thought it was best to let things continue as they were without bringing you four into the fold. We couldn't take the chance of you blowing our cover. We also didn't want to get involved in your feud with the criminal underworld; although, if we had learned sooner that Saki Oroku was making deals with the Kraang we most certainly would have stepped in."

Michelangelo couldn't help feeling offended and outraged by the remark. Immediately drawing the worst conclusions his mind could conjure about the man's morals. "You would have cut a deal with Shredder, knowing the kind of person he was, to get more intel on the Kraang and their plans instead of working with us?"

"Oh no, a deal would have been out of the question. The man certainly isn't trustworthy, and we would have had no interest in slaughtering children for him which I'm certain he would have requested from us if an alliance had been put on the table. No, I would have infiltrated the Foot. Reap the benefits of that until the information ran dry, and then I would have taken Saki and his organization down just as we did after your sister approached us with the evidence of their acts of treason."

"It's good to know that there's a line you wouldn't cross," the turtle muttered. But the anger hadn't left him, the betrayal he felt was still blazing in his soul. "It still doesn't change the fact that you stood around and did nothing about the threat until it was too late!"

"We were doing our jobs, which isn't as simple as you seem to think it was. Gathering intel on a dangerous enemy, determining what their plan of action was, and forming our counterstrike takes precision." Bishop calmly explained, this time there was no bite of anger in his voice. His words, oddly enough, sounded almost guilty. "Our orders were to help people when we could if it didn't compromise our efforts, but otherwise we had to stay on the sidelines and focus on the mission. One wrong move on our part, and the Kraang would have launched their attack before we were fully prepared to defend ourselves and fight back. We needed to be sure we knew what we were dealing with. It was different with you. Unlike us, the Kraang didn't view you four as a real threat. Your battles with them didn't speed up their plans, you were just a mere annoyance as far as they were concerned."

He hesitated a moment, and then leaned over and placed a hand on Michelangelo's shoulder. Staring him hard in the eyes. "I promise you, we didn't know what you and your brothers were planning that night, and when we realized what was going to happen it was too late to intervene. Our hacked bots were destroyed in the scuffle with your bothers and in the following explosion; we had to start from scratch getting back in, otherwise we would have helped you and the other captives get out sooner." The man's oddly sympathetic gaze lingered for a moment, and then the stone cold expression he was known for shifted back into place. "I understand what you're going through more than you know, Mr. Hamato. Whether you believe it or not, I sincerely apologize for my role in it and wish you the best." With that said, he pulled away, checked his watch, and then gave the turtle a curt nod as he turned and left the room just as swiftly as he had appeared in it.

Worn out by the confrontation, Michelangelo slumped back into the pillows once more and simmered in his emotions as he absorbed the information he had been given. He was angry with Bishop, but at the same time he realized that the decisions made were necessary at the time from the EPF's point of view. Besides, there was some truth in what the man had said. They had acted to protect the city from the Kraang, but those actions weren't their best efforts. They had left a trail of chaos in their wake; some of the mutations had been created by the Kraang, but the turtle knew that there were several that himself and his brothers bore responsibility for. And as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't deny the fact that they weren't nearly as discreet and in the shadows as they were supposed to be as trained ninja. The Foot and the Kraang were never caught on camera for starters. And Mikey could distinctly remember at least one time they had driven through the streets of NYC recklessly with their music blasting a little too loudly. They were lucky a cop didn't pull them over. The Kraang and the Foot never brought that kind of attention to themselves.

" _But we wouldn't have blown the EFP's cover_ ," he thought defensively. " _We would have stayed out of it if they had approached us and let us know they had the situation under control…right?_ " As much as Mikey wanted to believe they would have bowed out at the EFP's request, he couldn't help but doubt his siblings' willingness to comply. He thought of his own excited buzz during their encounters with the Kraang and the Foot, and knew that Raph shared his eagerness for a fun fight. Leo treated the whole thing like it was some episode of Space Heroes, with himself in the role of the Captain. And Donnie…no way in hell would Donnie step back and let someone else take over with the giant target April had on her back at the time. " _Aw, who am I kidding. He's right. We wouldn't have stayed out of it, and we weren't the masters of ninjitsu we convinced ourselves we were either._ "

"Is something wrong, my son?"

The turtle glanced back up at the doorway to see his father there with Jacob standing behind him. "No," he assured them with a bright smile plastered on his face. "I'm just super bored and eager to get out of this place!"

Jacob lifted up a piece of paper and waved it with a small playful grin. "Well then, we've got some good news for you." He walked in and handed the paper to Mikey. "I was able to convince Dr. Madding to release you into my care, so you can be discharged for home care effective today. I'll monitor your progress at home, and when I think you're ready then we'll start the physical therapy."

Michelangelo didn't think twice about cheering enthusiastically. The sooner he got out of this nightmare-inducing building, the better. It would be so nice being back in the safety of his own home. "How soon do you think I can go back to work?"

"Recovery would take at least a month, probably a little longer depending on your progress." He gave the young mutant a stern look. "You're not going back to the garage without my okay."

"I spoke with Mr. DePalma last night before he left," Splinter informed him. "He said he would get your short term disability paperwork in order for you, and send it to Jacob's office as soon as he could this morning. He also strongly expressed that you take as much time as you need to recover from your injury."

Michelangelo smiled at the thought, "the dude's a total softie."

"He was quite worried about you, my son. As was Mr. Rieger."

Guilt slipped in and replaced the amusement the turtle had been feeling. It wasn't fair of him to be so lighthearted about the situation. For his two coworkers, and his other friends and loved ones, the whole situation had been a frightening and stressful ordeal. Especially if he had danced as close to the edge of death as he got the impression he had. "I gotta call them when I get home."

"I'm sure they would both be glad to hear from you."

A few hours passed, and Michelangelo was discharged from the EPF clinic and back in the comforts of his own home. Propped in his bed, he had placed several phone calls to reassure everyone personally that he was okay and was convinced he'd be back on his feet in no time. Then he found himself alone with his thoughts once again. He was lost in them when his father entered his room with a tray of food.

"It's not a terribly creative meal in comparison to what you are accustomed to constructing," said the rat with a small grin, "but if I remember correctly this was one of your favorite dishes as a child."

On the tray was a peanut butter and banana sandwich, with a bowl of peeled and pitted lychee on the side.

"Hells to the Yeaah!" The turtle gleefully reached forward and popped one of the sweet fruit into his mouth. He chewed slowly to savor the flavor for as long as he could "So. Freakin'. Good!" He lifted the bowl up to his father with one hand, and snatched the sandwich up with the other. "Want some, Sensei?"

"No, that's quite alright." His father declined politely, as he watched the turtle begin to wolf down his sandwich. "Enjoy your meal, my son." It wasn't until after everything was eaten, and the tray was cleared off of the bed, that Splinter broached the subject that had been lingering on his mind. "What did Agent Bishop wish to speak with you about?"

"April. Or, at least that was the cover story he walked in with." Michelangelo explained as he glanced around his messy bedroom, and realized it was long overdue to be cleaned. "I got pissed, and we played the blame game for a couple of minutes, but then he backpedaled and kinda complimented my bros and I for our efforts to save the world. I think he kinda feels guilty for how things went down."

"And do you share his guilt?"

To say no would be a lie, and since Splinter always knew when one of them was lying Michelangelo decided not the answer the question. He shrugged slightly, feeling that was a vague enough response to hopefully satisfy his father's question. In a mild panic, desperate for a distraction, he let his eyes dance around his messy bedroom once more. "I gotta clean this room."

"Michelangelo…"

"Yeah, okay?" The turtle hung his head, and continued to avoid meeting his father's eyes. "I do feel guilty about my bros dying. If I was good enough, then things might have gone differently."

"Why do you feel you weren't good enough?"

His father's inquisitive gaze meant well, but it deeply unsettled the young mutant. He had never had one of these moments with his father before. He knew his brothers had though, Karai as well, and wondered if it had felt as awkward for them too. He didn't like being put on the spot, he didn't like having people pick at his deepest buried thoughts and feelings. It made him feel very vulnerable and exposed.

But he knew when he caught his father's eyes that the old rat wasn't going to drop the subject. "I should have been there with them." He blurted out, his voice thick with guilt.

"Your brother ordered you to separate from the group and act as decoy, did he not?"

"Yeah, but I should have gotten up there when I had the chance. Maybe I could have helped them get out, so they wouldn't have been trapped in the room with the explosion. Maybe, if they had faith in me, they would have listened to what I tried to warn them about before things went south on us and Leo wouldn't have had to send me off as bait."

"You feel they didn't have faith in you?"

"Well, no offense Sensei, but wasn't that obvious?" He snapped back, frustrated by the interrogation and his father's air of obliviousness. "They never listened to me! Ever! I could have told them you were being stabbed to death by Shredder, and they would have blown it off because it was coming from me. They listened to each other, they respected each other, but they looked at me and just saw their dumb little brother. The only thing they thought I was good at was playing bait for the baddies, and that was it."

"I'm sure they didn't think that way of you."

"They flat out told me, several times, that I'm an idiot. They always made a big deal out of it if I did do something smart for a change. And more than once I heard them say that being bait is all I'm good for." He laughed, but it was humorless and was on the edge of being a sob. He felt ashamed spilling his guts like a child. He was twenty-two years old, and had already learned a long time ago to accept the ugliness of what his brothers thought of him. What he thought everyone he knew thought of him. Shouldn't he be numb to it after all these years? Why did he still let it get to him like this? "It's not like I didn't already know I'm a useless idiot...I just wish they didn't feel the need to constantly remind me of it."

Crestfallen, Splinter took a moment to let this new knowledge sink in. Once again finding himself to blame for failing his youngest. He should have noticed this had been going on between his sons. He certainly would have put a stop to it and set the elder three straight. "I'm sorry, Michelangelo. I had no idea you felt this way, or that your brothers had treated you so poorly." Reaching out, he cupped the young mutant's face with his paw. Smiling at him with pride.

"My son, you are not an idiot. You may not have been as enthralled with science and medicine as Donatello had been, and you may not have been able to hold interest in the topics that captivated Leonardo and Raphael, but that does not make you stupid. You absorb knowledge at a different pace in a different way. You, too, have areas where you thrive in."

" _It's a few years too late for this conversation._ " Michelangelo thought, somewhat bitterly, as he stared back at his father. Nodding, although he didn't really believe what his father was trying to tell him. Splinter didn't understand what it was like for him growing up and feeling like he was always behind the others. How frustrating the school lessons had been, how it felt to be snickered at constantly for saying the wrong answer or completely failing to understand what the lesson was trying to teach him. Splinter beamed with approval at the others, but had always given pitying looks to the youngest turtle.

Or at least, that's how it came across to Michelangelo. The only time his father beamed at him the way he did with his brothers was during their ninjitsu training. Mikey never had any trouble in that subject. The stances and moves always came to him with ease. "Oh." He blinked at the realization, and shot a little grin towards his father. "You mean, like how I always picked up moves like that," he snapped his fingers in emphasis, "and it took the others way longer to learn the same moves?"

Smiling, Splinter nodded his head in confirmation. Eager to steer his son towards this more encouraging line of thought. "Yes. You all learned at a different pace. You each had your strengths and weaknesses when it came to your education and interests. And there is nothing wrong with that. I'm sorry I didn't stress that to the four of you as you grew up." He removed his paw from the young mutant's face, and sat back. Studying his son for a moment. "You are far cleverer than you give yourself credit for, Michelangelo. If you were the fool you believe yourself to be, then you wouldn't have been able to pick off those gang members the way you did last night. You wouldn't have been able to figure out how to break yourself and all the other captives of the Kraang out of your prison all those years ago either. You have always been far more observant than your brothers were, and have an insightful wisdom in you that none of them possessed."

Michelangelo felt uncomfortable with the praise, and found himself avoiding his father's gaze once more. Tinkering with the edge of his blanket, as he had done during his encounter with Bishop that morning. "That's very nice of you, Sensei." It felt like his father was just trying to cheer him up. After having his intelligence called into question by everyone around him well into his teenage years, he had a hard time believing his father's words were anything more than little white lies designed to make them both feel better.

Splinter realized his son lacked faith in what he was telling him, and contemplated how to stress the truth without further alienating the young mutant. After a moment, a conversation he had overheard many years ago occurred to him.

"Do you recall what you once said to Leatherhead, my son?"

Michelangelo stopped fiddling with the edge of the blanket, and looked up at his father with a baffled expression on his face.

"Allow me to paraphrase," said the rat with an encouraging smile. "Maybe you just think you're an idiot, because everyone kept treating you like one."

Unshed tears brimmed Mikey's eyes, as his lips quivered. "Sensei…" He hesitated a moment, swallowed the ball of emotion in his throat, and let out a nervous sigh. "Y-you really, honestly don't think I'm a stupid idiot?"

Splinter's own eyes glistened with tears, as his heart ached over the newfound knowledge that his son had been burdened by such low self-esteem for the majority of his life. And that he, who was so attuned with his other children, had failed to take notice of it. He embraced his youngest, and pressed his forehead lovingly against the young mutant's own. "No, my dear boy, I have never thought that of you. And I hope that you will stop thinking so poorly of yourself now that you've finally opened up to me about this toxic way you see yourself."

Tears of relief slipped free as Michelangelo nodded his head. "I'll try, Dad. I promise, I'll try."

They remained that way for a long time. And then, after wiping the dried tear streaks off of Michelangelo's cheeks with the sleeve of his robe, Splinter gently helped his son out of the bed and guided him to the main room. Making sure the young mutant was comfortable on the couch, the rat then quickly went about gathering their painting supplies and setting everything up. In no time, the TV was on and the soothing program was selected.

The air was no longer heavy with Michelangelo's bottled up tension and hidden emotions. Now it was blanketed by a calm tranquility as the father and son enjoyed their shared love for painting.

It would take a long time for Michelangelo to let go and move past years of having such a negative opinion of himself. To change the way he viewed himself. To accept that he wasn't the idiot he had been slowly conditioned to believe he was his entire life up until that point. Slowly, he would learn to stop being so harsh on himself. Would stop demeaning his own intelligence. And in time, he would learn to take pride in his knowledge, cleverness, and many skills.

He would believe in the compliments of his family and friends, and no longer be suspicious of how sincere the praise truly was.

But the guilt over his brothers' deaths still lingered under the surface. Although he never let Splinter catch an inkling of it. Coming to terms with the fact that there was nothing he could have done to prevent what happened to his brothers was going to take a lot longer for him to do.

His acceptance of that truth would eventually arise in another overdue conversation, but it was several years down the road in his life.

For now, when the demons stirred under the surface, he would seek out his paintbrushes and a blank canvas and hold the warm and encouraging words of his loved ones close to his heart for solace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very pleased with how both the coversations came out here, but especially the one between Mikey and Splinter!
> 
> It's a conversation that I wish we got to have in the show. Oh well.
> 
> Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and the story as a whole!
> 
> Send some reviews my way if you have the time, I'd love to know what people think of the story so far!


	10. The Wanderer

**Wednesday, June 30, 2021**

Much to Michelangelo's annoyance, traffic was heavy and wasn't showing any signs of letting up. Leaving him to drum his fingers against the steering wheel and try his best to wait patiently for the train of cars ahead of him to start slowly moving forward again. "Super sorry about this, miss." He said to his passenger as he glanced over his shoulder to gage her mood. "This is going to take a while to clear up, it's going to be a bit of a wait until I can maneuver us off this route and hopefully onto a quicker one for you."

"Don't worry about it, I'm not in a rush." The young woman informed him as she watched the people passing by on the sidewalk next to them. She ran her fingers through her dark blue-dyed hair absentmindedly, and tapped her other hand on her knee to a beat only she could hear. "Gives me time to muse, which is cool."

"The delay's going to affect your fare." He pointed out delicately. "If I had things my way, it wouldn't. But I don't make the rules. I'd probably be broke if I did!"

She laughed at that, looking away from the distractions outside to meet his eyes. "You did strike me as a bit of a softie." Giving him a quick once over, she leaned forward in her seat and reached a hand through the open window separating the back of the cab from the front. "Name's Sara, what about you?"

"Michelangelo," he supplied eagerly as he accepted her hand and gave it a gentle shake. "But everyone calls me Mikey."

"I like that, it's super unique. I've met a few Raphaels and Leonardos over the years, but no Michelangelos before. Are you into Ren art, or do you avoid it like the plague because of your namesake?"

"My dad named my brothers and I after those dudes, but I never really checked them out beyond the stuff they're famous for." The turtle admit to her sheepishly, looking back through the windshield to see if the traffic had started progressing forward again. He found himself surprisingly relieved to discover it hadn't moved an inch as he turned back to face his passenger. "I like what I've seen of their work though."

"Your old man really into art or something?"

"A little bit, yeah. He's not too bad at painting, actually."

"Nice."

A horn blared from behind their cab, snapping Michelangelo's attention back to the traffic ahead of them again. The jam was clearing up, and cars were moving forward once more. "Alright, here we go! Hopefully, I can get you to Queens without any further issues!"

"Like I said, cutie," Sara reminded him with a whisper of amusement in her voice, "there's no rush."

Blushing, unaccustomed to being flirt with, he smiled at her in the rearview mirror. Continuing the drive to her requested destination. "So, are you visiting friends?" He asked, referencing the backpack, sleeping bag, and duffle bag she had piled on the seat next to her.

"Oh," she glanced over at her things. "Yeah, I told my friend in Queens I'd be passing through NYC and she insisted I crash with her while I was here. Plus, I get to see her cute kits again!"

"Aw! How many cats does she have?"

"Two, they're from the same litter and they're such adorable little fur babies. If I wasn't on the road all the time, I would totally have a couple of my own."

"You travel for work?" Michelangelo asked, feeling a little envious of how worldly this woman seemed to be. He always wanted to travel. The road trips the Mighty Mutanimals invited him on were nice, but were limited to the same stomping grounds for the struggling band. He wished he could see more of the world beyond those routes.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." She replied as she glanced out the window again at the buildings and people they were passing by. "I love wandering from place to place, so I don't really have a steady job. I couch surf my way around the country, settle down long enough to get a job and save up cash again, and then move on when I get bored and feel I've got enough money to get away with it for a while."

"That's really rad, sometimes I wish I could just uproot and take off wherever the wind may take me like that."

"So, why don't you?"

He flicked his turn signal, and quickly yet cautiously glided his car into the right-hand lane to make his turn. Thinking of Splinter, Karai, and all of his friends in the city. "I have too many connections here to just take off and wander like that. But maybe on some future vacation I'll just take a road trip for fun. If I can drive in NYC, I can drive anywhere."

"Try figuring how the heck to navigate in Boston, and then get back to me on that!"

They shared a laugh at that, and she regaled him with tales of woe from her attempts to drive around that city during her past visits. He took her word for it, and expressed his sympathies over her experiences. A comfortable moment of silence settled on the cab as he focused on the traffic ahead of them and she continued to admire the scenery outside her window.

"I've been bouncing around from place to place since high school." She told him quietly, as she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and turned her gaze over to her bags again. "I couldn't wait to hit the road after I got myself a car of my own. It was a cheap piece of junk that I shouldn't have wasted my money on, and wouldn't have if I had been more patient and done my research, but I was so hell-bent on getting out of that boring little town that I didn't completely think things through. In hindsight, I really wish I had waited a couple more years and saved up more for a better car! The one I bought back then was a money pit, and it finally crapped out on me for good a few months ago. So I've had to rely on train and bus routes to get around. I don't mind doing that once in a while, and I guess it may be cheaper depending on how you look at it…but I really miss driving around. Ya know? Driving down those old back roads, just to see where you turn up, is nice."

It did sound nice. "Are you crashing with this friend in Queens long enough to save up for a new car?"

"That would take a lot of time. My friends are happy to have me stay with them for a few weeks once in a while, but I feel like I'd be overstaying my welcome in that situation." She sighed in exasperation. "I might have to bite the bullet and go back home to my folks." She locked eyes with him in the rearview mirror, and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Love them dearly, but mom'll be driving me crazy in no time! It doesn't matter to her that I'm five years' shy of being thirty, or that I can handle myself just fine; she'll still treat me like a little kid after an hour in the same room together."

Michelangelo nodded his head sympathetically, remembering all too well how frustrating it felt to be talked down to like that by his brothers. He came to a stop at the next set of lights. " _She's such a nice, rad chick. Wish there was something I could do to help her out._ " And then, an answer presented itself to him. "You could crash at my place if you need a place to stay until you can get your stuff straightened out." He found himself offering without hesitation. "I still live with my dad, but we've got plenty of room and I don't think he'd mind."

She cast him a hesitant look, "you live with your dad?"

"Well, yeah." He noticed the idea seemed very unappealing to her, and wondered why. He just wasn't ready to move out yet, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to, and Splinter wasn't pressuring him to leave either. If anything, he felt his father wanted him to stay in the Lair. "Dad's a mutant too, a rat by the way, and it kinda spooks him, I think, to go topside for too long. He could take care of himself without me there, but we're both content with how things are. Plus, I don't have to worry about rent or anything like that, so it's a pretty sweet deal!"

"That does sound like a sweet deal," Sara agreed. Remembering how envious she used to be of her cousins when her uncle had converted the upstairs of his old barn-turned-garage into a couple of apartments for them to live cheaply in. "My mom probably would have loved it if I lived with her and dad forever…I just don't have the patience for it! I'm glad you have such a good working relationship with your dad that you don't drive each other crazy."

"I understand if the idea still kinda wigs you out," Michelangelo replied with a chuckle. "We are total strangers. But at least let me help you get a decent job while you're here. It would make saving up money easier than working at a fast food joint."

The light turned green, so he let her take a moment to go over his offer while he continued on their route to her friend's place. A few minutes later he was pulling the cab up to the curb in front of a brownstone apartment building.

Sara rummaged through the contents of her purse, ripped a piece of paper out of a tiny notebook she had crammed inside it, and scribbled something down on it. Leaning forward again, she reached through the divider window to hand him the rumbled paper. "Here's my number, what's yours?" She handed him her pen to write with, and another fragment of paper. Happily accepting both back after he wrote down his contact information. "I'll give you a buzz later, okay?"

"Yeah, sure!"

He accepted her money, handed her back her change, and watched her collect her things and make her way towards the old brick building. Smiling when she glanced over her shoulder to grin and wave goodbye to him. He waited for her to go inside before shifting the stick and flicking his blinker on to pull away from the curb again. Gliding back out into the lighter traffic, and making his way back to Manhattan with an eye grazing the sidewalks for any potential new customers.

He turned on the cab's radio, and hummed along to the song playing. He picked up a few more customers in the hours that passed after that before he felt his cellphone buzz against his leg in his jeans. Grinning, a wave of happiness washed over him knowing he had just made a new friend.

* * *

 

After his shift ended, Michelangelo made a pit stop at the local flower shop and picked up a couple of bouquets. Then, carefully holding the vases close without damaging the arrangements, he sprinted up the nearest fire escape to make the trek to his sister's apartment building. Popping back down to the street when he arrived, and giving the doorman a chipper hello as he passed the snake mutant and walked inside.

"Oh, those are stunning!" Karai exclaimed when she opened the door to greet him. "Thank you, you got our favorites! You didn't have to do that!"

"It's your first-year anniversary, of course I was going to get you a little present!"

"Well, come on it and relax for a bit," she encouraged him as she accepted the flowers and brought them into the living room. "Hey babe, Mikey's here! He brought us some flowers; you're the expert, help me decide where to put them!"

Kitsune exited her office and beamed at the mutant. "Hey sweetie, how have you been?" Her eyes lit up when she saw the flowers. Gliding over, she touched them delicately as she bent her head down to immerse herself in their scents. "Oh, these are lovely." She studied them, glanced around the apartment, and then selected the vase with the roses. "These will do nicely on the dining room table. Karai, would you be a dear and put the lavender display in our room?"

Michelangelo admired how well the roses looked at the center of the table amongst the other decorative knick-knacks she had elegantly displayed on it. "You really have a great eye for this stuff."

"I know, right?" Kitsune laughed, walking over to the kitchen area to fetch a trio of stemware from the cabinet and a bottle of apricot white wine. "I love interior design, I'm so glad I get to make a living off of it!" After pouring each of them a glass, she handed one to her brother-in-law with a smile. "So, what's up with you these days?"

"Same old same old basically." He replied, accepting the glass and taking a sip. "Oh, that's really nice!" They wandered back into the living room area to join Karai, sitting down on the couches. "I've hit a road block on that fic I've been working on though."

"Which one? The Space Heroes one, or the Venture Bros one?" Karai asked with genuine interest as she accepted the glass from her wife.

"Space Heroes."

"Oh that's a shame. I love that story!" She took a generous sip from her glass, and then placed it on one of the coasters on the coffee table. "I think you've done a great job with making that crossover work. I'm surprised no one thought to do one between the two before now. I mean, everyone who's familiar with both shows knows that Space Heroes is a Star Trek parody. A crossover between the two is kinda begging to happen."

"Yeah, I was surprised too." Mikey replied, grinning from the praise and reflecting on how the idea had come to him. "Guess that was part of the reason why I started it. I mean, someone had to!" He took a moment to glance out the window and enjoy the view of Central Park. "So, do you lovely ladies have any special plans for tonight, seeing how it's your first anniversary being married?"

"We've both been so busy with work lately, that we didn't even realize the date was just around the corner until last night." Admit Karai as she shared a mildly embarrassed smile with Kitsune. "I've been hearing good things about that new fantasy movie, 'The Dragonriders Of Pern', so I thought that maybe we could check that out?"

"Oh man, have you read any of the books?" Mikey asked eagerly, becoming very excited. "They're great! So, I was pretty hyped up to hear they were finally doing a movie based on one of them. I saw it opening night, and it is really good! I know you'll love it!"

The discussion carried on with the topics of books and the movies based off of them. Ranging from some of the best ones the trio had encountered, to some of what each of them had deemed the worst. After a couple of hours had passed, the young mutant politely excused himself. He needed to get home to start making dinner, and the young wives needed to prepare for their anniversary date.

"Let me know what you think of the movie!" He cheerfully reminded the two women as he left their apartment. "Oh! And if you're not sure where you want to eat, then I highly recommend Murakami's. His granddaughter has the reigns now, and she totally revamped it. She doesn't use the same menu he had used, but her selection is excellent!"

"We'll keep that in mind!"

"Have a nice night, little brother!"

Michelangelo ventured back out onto the New York City streets. Opting to walk back home to enjoy the scenery and glance through shop windows instead of taking the rooftops, even though that route would have been quicker for him. He was halfway home when he felt his phone vibrate in his pants pocket, and pulled it out curiously. Eager to see who was texting or snapchatting him. He was pleasantly surprised to see a message from Sara, and grinned when he read what she had written. "Sweet!" He quickly sent his reply, and continued homeward. Reviewing in his head how he would present his proposal to his boss the next day.

* * *

 

**Thursday July 1, 2021**

"Nope."

"Aw, come on Louie! Why not?"

"'Cause I ain't looking for new cabbies right now."

"But she could really use a job, and I told her I could help her."

"Well then hit up someone else with your charity case, because I don't care. Aren't you buddy buddy with some restaurant owner who'd be willing to help?"

"Sara's not a cook, so any job they'd be willing to give her wouldn't pay her much." Michelangelo argued, trying desperately to beseech the soft side he knew Louie had buried beneath his mean-spirited surface. "She needs to save up for a good used car, not some junky thing that's going to die on her less than a year after she's bought it. She can save up quicker if she's a cabbie!"

"I know you're a big softie like Reiger, kid. But you're barking up the wrong tree." Louie chuckled, going back to the paperwork he had been working on. Although, if he were honest with himself, he was happy for the distraction the young mutant was giving him.

Michelangelo frowned. Scrambling to think of a way to win over his boss. He had made a promise to Sara, and he intended to keep it. It was time to pull out the big guns. "You owe me, dude."

The displeased grunt he got in response, as his boss froze mid-word on the line he was filling out, was promising. The man's beady little eyes shifted back and forth rapidly as he grumbled nonsense under his breath. He glanced up to meet Mikey's eyes, and frowned in a mixture of annoyance and defeat.

As much as Louie would have liked to deny it, he had told the young cabbie he owed him once. Remembering all too clearly the anxiety of the situation they found themselves in back then, the sight of Michelangelo's blood on the asphalt, and how seeing the mutant looking so close to death had kept him awake for a few nights afterward.

Feeling both grateful and guilty for the driver's interference that night, Louie had indeed told him that a favor was on the table for him. The gesture had been genuine, and he knew he really ought to honor it. "Fine."

"Sweet!" Michelangelo cheered, hopping in victory as he whipped out his cell phone to text the good news to his newest friend. "Thanks boss man!"

"You're supposed to be an innocent little ball of sunshine," Louie complained. Pointing a finger accusingly at his young driver, hoping to shame the turtle for forcing his hand like that. "Where did you learn to be manipulative?"

"From you."

More grumbles, grimaces, and shifting eyes played out on the short man's face as he realized that he had been pegged. For a flicker of a second, he grinned with pride that Mikey had picked up such skills from him. Then he noticed Mikey beaming at him, and slapped a frown back onto his face. "Don't get too excited just yet, kid. She ain't driving."

"But you just sai- "

"Ah, ah, ah! Shut your yapper, let me elaborate!" Louie barked, determined to make his terms clear. "We don't need any more drivers, so I ain't sticking another car on the road when I don't hafta. However- "he gestured at his messy desk and the overstuffed filing cabinets lining the walls of the room "-if your little booty call is really desperate for work then I guess I could use a secretary for a few weeks. How's that?"

"My what?" Michelangelo asked, confused by the term his boss had used to reference his friend. The smirk he got in response made him shake his head, he probably didn't want to know. "Ah, nevermind. Yeah! Sure, I don't see why not! A job's a job, right? I'll let her know!" He immediately went back to the text message he had started and finished it. Hitting the send button with a pleased smile on his face. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate it, and I know she will too."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever gets ya off my back!" Louie grumbled with a dismissive wave of his hand. Grimacing down at the paperwork, he wondered if he could get away with letting his new secretary fill out the tedious forms for him once she started the job. He looked back up at the turtle, and noticed the pure joy still radiating off of him as he stared at his phone in anticipation of the reply. "So, uh, how long have you known this girl anyway?"

"Since yesterday," Mikey replied, "she was one of my late afternoon customers."

"And she left such an impression on you, that you decided you just had to go to bat for her like that?"

"Well, yeah. She needed help, and I knew I should at least try to help her out if I could."

"Uh huh…" His boss mulled on that for a moment, entertained his earlier impression of the situation a little more, and decided that some caution may be necessary. "Look, what you do is your own business. But, uh, if you decide to get 'busy' with this chick, then would ya promise me to be careful about it?"

"Huh?"

"You know, if you do the horizontal mambo."

"Still not following you, dude."

Louie was befuddled, "I have to spell it out for ya?" He threw his arms up in the air dramatically, sitting up a little from his seat. "Be careful if you go and have sex with her, you dope! Mutant/Human relations are illegal. I'd hate to lose one of my best drivers because he got arrested for his inability to keep it in his pants."

"WHAT?!" Embarrassed, Michelangelo felt his face get hot as he scrambled to reclaim his ability to speak and deny what was being suggested. "It's not like that! At. All. She's just a friend, that's it. Besides, I'm not interested in sex."

"Everybody's interested in sex," argued Louie. Amused that he had managed to get the kid fumbling over himself in denial. "But like I said, it's none of my business. Just be careful if you decide to go swimming in bedsheets with her, okay?"

"Yeah, okay Louie."

Michelangelo's phone buzzed to notify him that a text had arrived. Sara was definitely happy to hear he had secured a job for her. He texted back a quick 'no problmemo' with a happy face, and then scooted out of Louie's office with another quick thank you over his shoulder. Eager to remove himself from the amusement radiating off of his boss, and get back down to the Cage to get the keys for the cab he'd be driving that day.

As he made his way to the cabs after retrieving his keys, he found himself grinning. He made a new friend, and was able to help her out when she really needed it. As far as he was concerned, it was worth the teasing from his boss.

He couldn't wait to work with her.

* * *

 

It had been a long and tiring day. And yet, Michelangelo found himself lying in his bed, wide awake, staring at the ceiling thinking of nothing in particular. Trying and failing to fall asleep, while the clock on the shelf above his bed showcased the late hour a little brighter. As if it were mocking him.

He tossed and turned in his bed for a few more minutes before finally giving up hope on falling asleep anytime soon. He debated over whether or not he should read a book until he got tired, but then settled on working on his fanfic instead. Perhaps his sleep-seeking mind would produce a solution to the writer's block he had encountered during his current chapter. He had quite a few bursts of brilliant creativity come to him in the past during bouts of insomnia like this, and even if he came up with nothing he knew his eyes would have to droop sleepily sooner or later once he set his mind to the distracting task.

He slid out of bed, and crossed the room to the small desk he had acquired a few years earlier at an antique store. Opening it up, he pulled out his small second-hand laptop. Then he exited his room, walking quietly through the Lair in an attempt to leave his father undisturbed in his sleep, and went into the kitchen to grab a glass of water and set himself up at the table. A few minutes passed, and then the soft sound of fingertips speedily typing floated in the air.

All it took was a flickering thought about Sara to spark an idea for him on how he could get the plot going again. Taking a different approach on how the characters would get themselves out of the dilemma he had placed them in, he was delighted to find that everything was clicking back into place once more. The story was moving forward again, like a traffic jam finally clearing up on the page.

He worked contently that way for a few hours before sleep finally came to claim him, and was quite pleased with his work when he finally stopped. He had resolved the issue he was having with the chapter, and it ended up being longer than he had anticipated! He would have to review it again after getting some sleep, check for typos and make sure it was flowing as well as he felt it was in that very moment, but he was confident it would be ready to post online by noontime.

"Insomnia has its perks…" He mumbled sleepily to himself has he shuffled his way back to his bedroom. Depositing the laptop back in the desk, and flopping himself onto his bed.

He buried himself under the sheets, and let sleep claim him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, Sara's not an OC. None of the supporting cast in this fic are. If they don't exist in some version of TMNT, then they're from another series altogether (Alex and Louie are from the 70's sitcom "Taxi". Vincent and Jacob, along with the mentioned-yet-remains-off-screen Mouse and Father, are all from the 80's drama "Beauty and the Beast").
> 
> The only OC featured so far was Kitsune and Karai's friend from their Halloween party a few chapters back, and I most likely won't be using him again.
> 
> Sara was actually meant to appear a few chapters down the road from now, but then I found myself writing her into the scrapped version of this chapter. I'm glad she snuck her way into that earlier draft because this actually works so much better than what I originally envisioned for her first appearance.
> 
> That's part of the fun about writing, sometimes things go exactly as you originally planned, and sometimes the story gets a mind of its own and takes the wheel for a while on you!
> 
> Anyway, I hope everyone's enjoying the fic! Thank you for reading!
> 
> If you haven't already, please check out BrightLotusMoon's "Cold Fire Rising" series (which is on here as well as FFNet). They're fantastic!


	11. The Retirement Party

**Friday December 10th, 2021**

The restaurant was one that Michelangelo had somehow managed to overlook in the years since he first got to go topside in broad daylight. It wasn't a five-star establishment, or a famous hole in the wall. It was an average looking place; well-kept over the years, sitting quietly by itself in the peripheral vision of one's eye.

He had wondered at first, since he was only given an address and not the name of the place, what made it so special to Alex. That is, until he got close enough to read the sign. The dots connected easily from there.

Michelangelo pulled open the door to 'Jim's Mario's', setting off the little chime as he did so, and blinked to let his eyes adjust to the shift in the lighting. Someone was playing the old piano set up by the bar. When he got closer, squinting still, he realized it was Alex. "Hey, dude!"

The elderly man didn't pause, but he did glance up when he heard his name called out and smiled at his young friend. "You're early, I wasn't expecting you to get here first!"

"Yeah, I know. I had an appointment with Jacob, but it wrapped up faster than I thought so I figured I'd pop by now." Michelangelo took a seat at the table closest to the piano and watched the retiring cabbie play. The melody was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place the song. He glanced around the room, drinking in the little details. "So, this is the restaurant your friend owned back in the day?"

"Yup!" Alex finished the song, and shifted on the bench to face him. "A bunch of us used to hang out here after work at the end of the week. Man, those were fun times. The food was never anything to get excited over, but it was decent enough. It almost closed in the early 80's, but Jim wouldn't stand for that so he bought the place himself."

"He wanted to keep the gang together," the young mutant remarked with a smile. He'd do the same thing if he had the money and had a special place that he hung out with friends at. It sounded nice. "You still come here since he died?"

"From time to time. When our schedules synch up enough to allow it, like today, we try to meet up here. Although it isn't quite the same without him." The elderly man was quite for a moment, thinking back on those years. "I'll always appreciate that his brother kept the place going after he passed away, Jim would have liked that."

"Yo! Alex!" Someone cheered gleefully from the doorway, drawing their attention to the entrance. They hadn't heard the chime go off. A handsome looking man with graying hair stood there with a bright smile spread on his face. "Man, it's good to see ya! You're looking great!" He practically bounced into the room, and gave the old man a gentle but warm hug. "Sorry I've been out of touch lately, I've been in the Boston area checking out the fresh talent. Man, things have gotten so good in the business since the mutants showed up." He noticed Michelangelo, and grinned bashfully. "Sorry, I'm being rude. I kinda get like that when I get excited." He offered a calloused hand in greeting. "I'm Tony! You gotta be Mikey?"

"Got that right!" Excited himself, the turtle accepted his hand happily and gave it an enthusiastic shake. "This is cool, meeting Alex's old crew like this. Nice to finally meet you!"

"Likewise," Tony replied as his expression sobered a bit. He took a hold of Michelangelo's shoulder, and looked him square in the eyes. "Anyone who risks their neck for one of my friends, like you did for Alex, is a friend of mine. You ever need help, don't hesitate to ask!"

Mikey nodded his head, "That's nice of you, thanks." He sat back down and pulled out the chair next to him to offer the retired boxer a seat. "So you're a coach for boxers, right?"

"Oh, yeah!" The man made his way around the table and accepted the seat. "My heyday as a boxer came and went pretty quick. I wasn't anything special, but I enjoyed a good fight none the less. Anyway, after I called it quits I decided to take up coaching to see how I liked it." He leaned back with a slightly smug grin on his face. "Turns out, I'm really good at it." Noticing the alcohol menu, he snatched it up to take a look at the beer selection. "Boxing's not as popular as it used to be, thanks to that ultimate fighting stuff, but it got enough of a following to let me keep my job! We've gotten a lot more attention since we started letting mutants do matches though, it's been great!"

"Yeah, I caught that from when you came in." Michelangelo drifted back in time for a moment, with a sad smile forming on his face. "If my brother Raph was still alive he would have been so psyched about that! He was really into boxing. He didn't care for that ultimate fighting stuff, he said it looked too much like wrestling." He blinked away the tears he could feel forming, and shook his head. It wouldn't do to get all weepy before Alex's retirement party even got officially started. "I don't really follow sports, so, uh, how long have mutants been allowed to box?"

He listened as Tony animatedly launched into the history lesson, even though he quickly realized that most of it he was already familiar with due to his disturbingly close connection with how it all began.

Unbeknownst to him or his brothers during their battle to defend humanity from the Kraang, New York City wasn't the only one with a secret infestation of the aliens, nor were they the only ones to have mutant captives. The Kraang had a network set up all along the East Coast, across the mid states, and a small branch along the West Coast. And nearly all of them had mutants locked up in them. From what the EPF had disclosed to the public after they took down the Kraang and took over their facilities, it looked like the aliens had their sights set on some European countries next.

All the mutant captives that were discovered by the EPF, when they did their sweeps through the Kraang facilities, were freed and registered by the EPF; entering society to live their lives as normally as they possibly could. But, as to be expected, there were struggles for the mutant community. The herbivores, like Mikey, had it easier than most because they weren't viewed as threatening by the human public. However, a lot of the omnivore and carnivore mutants suffered a lot of prejudice because of their appearance and associations with their natural counterparts.

Sports was a field of work where mutants had been barred from participating in. It was felt, in some cases, that they would have an unfair advantage over the human players. None of the major sports franchises would even consider funding all-mutant teams; they felt it would generate too many expenses and not enough profit to be worth their support. It was only a few months ago that the tide had begun to turn in the sports world. Equal rights protesting was seeing to that, and boxing was one of the first sports to allow all-mutant matches. Tony had leapt at the opportunity to coach for mutants, and had watched on as the sport he loved was revived.

"Robin's got a lot of skill, he's a frog and has a natural gift in the ring." Tony informed them with undisguised pride as he began discussing his current charge. "He's been making his way up the ranks pretty quickly. I think he's going to make the big win this year!"

"Aw, that's great,"replied Mikey as he munched on some fries that had been served during the discussion. "Give him my well wishes, dude!"

The chime for the door rang off, and all three heads turned to see who had arrived next. Alex's friend Elaine, who Mikey had met a few times over the years, entered with a cheery smile and an excited shriek of hello. Two men and a woman followed in her wake, who Alex and Tony smiled and cheered at the sight of. Tony dashed over and gave the posh looking man a bright smile and tight hug, while Alex greeted the other three with hugs and handshakes.

Michelangelo recognized the man in the fancy clothes, even though his polished style was drastically different from what the young mutant was used to seeing him wearing. Bobby Wheeler was an actor on a popular crime drama that Splinter and Karai liked watching, whose character was often disheveled in the episodes Mikey had managed to catch. He couldn't help feeling a little giddy in the presence of the celebrity, and debated whether or not it was a good idea to ask the guy for a couple of autographs or a selfie later on. He didn't want to be rude or annoying, but couldn't help thinking how cool it would be. Plus, it'd make a great gift for his father and sister's upcoming birthdays!

While he had never met the married couple Alex was talking to, he immediately figured out who they were when he caught their accents and quick way of speaking. " _Latka and Simka Gravas_ " He reminded himself, smiling at the happy reunion. Remembering Alex remark once that Latka was, in an odd way, like a son to him. " _Alex has that effect on people_ ," he thought as he watched the old cabbie crew migrate back to the table next to the piano. Joining them, and introducing himself to the ones he hadn't formally met yet.

Others from the group's era wandered into the restaurant as the next half hour ticked by, mingled among the younger cabbies and mechanics that had come to the party to give their congratulations and well wishes to Alex for his retirement, and to give the man their thanks as they happily exchanged stories with each other about him.

"Hey, you."

Michelangelo glanced over his shoulder, and grinned brightly at the woman approaching him. Feeling a jolt of warmth and happiness in her presence. He wandered over to her with a wave of his hand.

Flinging her winter coat over one of the bar stools, Sara shook her hair free of the snow flakes and flashed him a smile. "Sup, cutie? Pretty big gathering, huh?" She cast an impressed glance around the room at their coworkers before setting her sights on Alex. "He's a great guy though, like you, so this doesn't really surprise me. Is it true Louie's footing the bill for renting out the restaurant tonight for this little shindig?"

"I've been telling you for months now that the boss man's not that bad."

"Yeah, well seeing it's believing it." She replied with a laugh, leaning onto the bar and catching the bartender's attention. "What's your poison, hon?" She asked Michelangelo as the bartender nodded at her in acknowledgement and finished preparing the drink they were already making for another customer.

The turtle's eyes danced over the variety of bottles lined up on the shelves behind the bar. Mentally running through the list of easy to make cocktails he had accumulated on his Yummly app. He noticed that they had Drambuie as well as Scotch whiskey, and considered ordering a Rusty Nail. But his palate nudged him in another direction, towards the Peppermint Schnapps and the lovely possibilities there. There was Irish Cream, and after some searching he found the Kahula. He presented his request to the bartender, who gave him a nod and turned their attention to Sara for her request.

"You know what," she pointed at Michelangelo, "I'll have what he's having." She flashed the turtle an impressed look, which made him blush. "Mikey, that sounds like a wonderful combo! I'm surprised I haven't thought of that before myself!"

"Candy made it for us a few winters back when I was hanging out with Ry and the band." He explained with a bashful smile. Not wanting to take credit for someone else's idea. "It's kinda become a traditional drink for me in the winter months. I can't bring myself to drink it before November, or once Spring starts arriving."

"Yeah, I get like that too." Sara assured him as she hoisted herself up on the stool she had flung her coat onto. "I only drink Whiskey in the cold months, and there's only certain meals I'll eat at certain times of year. I tend to do that with movies too, now that I think about it. I mean, besides the obvious with the movies that take place on Halloween or Christmas."

They watched as Mitsu and Kenshin made their way into the restaurant. Michelangelo whistled to catch their attention, and waved them over. "Hey, lovebirds! Wasn't sure you were going to be able to make it!" He teased once they broke through the crowd and hugged the two of them in greeting. "You staying long?"

Mitsu eyed the drinks the bartender brought over, and got settled on the stool next to Sara as she reviewed the selection the bar had to offer. "My mother is babysitting Yoichi tonight." She shifted on the stool as her husband took a seat next to her. "Ken and I have to work tomorrow, but our shifts start late enough that we can have a little fun tonight. Right baby?"

The couple had been married for five years now, but still acted like gleeful newlyweds. It made Michelangelo smile as he found himself, not for the first time, feeling a little envious of them. When he was younger, he thought he would be perfectly content without having a life partner like that. He was asexual, and had plenty of friends, so he didn't think he'd ever be lonely. But as the years went by, and he watched on the sidelines as his sister and friends got married and started their families, he found himself changing his mind on how he felt about that. Especially when Yoichi, Mitsu and Kenshin's son, was born.

The moment he was introduced to the baby, with pure joy radiating from his friends as they gently handed Yoshi over for him to hold the infant in his arms, he realized what he was missing out on. He wanted a family too.

"Hey, Mikey, what's going on in your headspace?"

He blinked, pulled out of his longing thoughts, and turned to look at Sara. "Hm?"

"You looked kinda sad."

"Just thinking about stuff."

"Wanna share with the class?"

He sipped from his drink with a shrug. "No biggie, just thinking how nice they've got it." He said as he gestured at the couple. Watching as they tried each other's drinks while chatting it up with one of the other mechanics from the cab company that had come over to say hi.

"Ya mean, being trapped in a lifetime of bleeding money and being stressed all the time?"

Her pessimistic attitude surprised him with its harshness. "Wow, tell me how you really feel Sara!"

"Sorry, I just never bought into the wholesome family life shtick." She replied unapologetically, signaling for the bartender again. She had already finished her first drink. "Don't let me burst your bubble because I'm being a cynical bitch about it though. Honestly, you'd make a great boyfriend and I bet you'd be a good dad too based on how cute you are with Mitsu and Ken's kid."

She gave him a look that he wasn't sure how to read, and then told the bartender what she wanted.

"Um, thanks." Michelangelo said softly, happy for the compliment but saddened by her drastically different opinion on the topic. He had suspected, based on her desire to constantly travel and comments she had made in the past, that she wasn't keen on relationships, but it still broke his heart to hear her say so out loud. "For the record, I don't think you're a bitch." He told her as he watched her new drink slide across the bar and stop in front of her. She lazily flung down her cash, and took a generous sip of her whiskey on the rocks. "You're kinda blunt sometimes, but I'm not gonna judge you for wanting different things than me."

"Appreciate that," she replied. Looking over his shoulder, and gesturing over to the other side of the room. "You're being beckoned."

He swiveled in his seat, and followed her gaze. Tony and the rest of Alex's old crew were gathered around his elderly friend, waving him over. "Oh, okay." He turned back to Sara. "I should probably go see what that's all about. I'll be back."

"I'm not going anywhere."

He got up, leaving his drink behind, and crossed the crowded room to visit with his older friend. "Hey, Alex. So, how are you feeling about being officially retired?"

The man's face was flushed with alcohol and cheer, as Bobby and Tony laughed and gave him congratulatory pats on the back. "Well," Alex replied with a grin, "I don't know how to feel about it quite yet to be honest. I've been a cab driver for a long time now, and have been working since I was 15 years old. I'll probably go mad with boredom within a week!"

Everyone chuckled at that, because they all knew it was true. "Aw, don't worry Alex. I'm sure once you find the perfect habit to preoccupy you that won't be a problem anymore." Elaine reassured him optimistically. Michelangelo liked that about her, she always tried to see the bright side of things.

"Isn't there something you've always wanted to do?" Tony asked, thinking about what he'd like to do once he was able to retire. "Like, I dunno, travel the world?"

"That sounds like a fun idea," Mikey agreed. That was definitely something he would like to do someday. Although, he wasn't waiting until he hit retiring age to do it.

"Well, I've traveled a little bit." Alex informed them as he shared a knowing look with Elaine, who smiled fondly at the memories. "I've never been on a cruise before though. Those river ones always look nice, so maybe I'll look into that once I start going stir crazy!"

"That's the spirit!"

"Take lots of pictures if you do!"

"I live nearby," Bobby reminded him, "so I'm more than happy to swing by your place if you need plants watered or if you have any pets you need looked after."

"If I go on the trip, I'll give you a ring for your assistance." Alex replied with a chuckle, turning his gaze on the young turtle with a teasing glint in his eyes. "You've been pretty chatty with Sara since Louie hired her. You're, uh, being careful about how you're spending your time with her, right?"

Michelangelo gave him a questioning look, not quite following the implications. A sense of déjà-vu came over him, like he had had this conversation before. "What do you mean? We're friends, there's nothing wrong with hanging out with friends."

"You sure that you're not more than that?" Tony teased, with Elaine giggling over his shoulder. Bobby didn't join in on the fun, if anything he looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"Um…yeah?" It wasn't a lie. He knew his relationship with Sara would never be more than friendship. It bummed him out, but he would nurse his broken heart now that it was subtly confirmed and learn to accept it. He valued her friendship, and didn't want to lose it over unrequited feelings on his part.

"If it escalates," Alex said a little more seriously, "then just make sure you're very careful about it. Okay?"

The dots connected.

"Oh, come on!" Michelangelo protested, embarrassed. "Not you too!" He felt his cheeks heat up, and shoved his face into his hands. "Louie gave me this little interrogation back when he agreed to hire Sara. You all have dirty little one track minds!"

"Hey now, don't get on the defensive!" Elaine scolded him playfully, as she rounded the table and hugged him from behind. "We just want to make sure you don't rush into anything that will get you into trouble later on. That's all. The equality protests are swaying the tide in your favor, but as it stands…intimate human/mutant relationships are still frowned upon."

"Yeah, kiddo." Bobby pipped up, trying to be supportive despite his obvious discomfort. "You gotta keep your inner animal in check, it's not worth going to jail over."

The others gave the actor varying looks of surprise and disapproval over his choice of words, but Mikey understood he meant well. He was sure Bobby hadn't meant to be insensitive about it.

"It's not like that between us," the young mutant insisted. He was still a little embarrassed by the whole conversation.

"Yeah, well, maybe she didn't get that memo," Tony remarked as he looked over at the bar where the woman in question was still sitting. "She was giving you bedroom eyes for a little bit there."

"What? No way, you're reading too much into things!"

"Hate to say it," Bobby pipped up, "but Tony's right. She has been giving you that look. We should know, we've been around the block a few times. In fact, she's giving it to you now."

Hesitantly, Michelangelo turned to look over his shoulder towards the bar again. It startled him to discover that Sara was looking at him with the same expression he had caught from her before that had left him puzzled. "That look's code for wanting sex?" He asked, confused and curious at the same time.

"Yup." Both of the younger men confirmed, nodding in sync with each other as if to cement their point.

Elaine rolled her eyes, but couldn't deny their observations. "I hate to agree with them, but she does seem to have a thing for you. Let her down gently, okay?"

The young mutant nodded his head in understanding, keeping his eyes locked on Sara's. He was completely out of his comfort zone, and wasn't sure how to proceed. Should he just pretend like he didn't catch on that she was interested? He didn't think that would fly. She was smiling at him now, and he suspected she had picked up on the fact that he had figured it out. She was going to bring it up later, he just knew it. "Oh, geeze."

The night wore on with a more uncomfortable air to Michelangelo. Alex and his friends left midway through the party, leaving the younger cabbies and mechanics to their fun. The turtle wanted to head home himself, but Sara was still at it and he didn't feel right letting her travel home alone. He was just afraid of what would happen once he had delivered her safely to her doorstep.

"I'm getting kinda tired," Sara slurred when she approached his side around midnight. He had just called to update Splinter that he was waiting for his friend so he could bring her home. "Think it's time for me to go. Be a pal and walk me back to the apartment?"

"No problemo!" He replied cheerfully, trying to hide the nervousness from his voice.

They gathered their coats, and exited the restaurant. Venturing out into the snowy night.

"So you spent most of the evening avoiding me." She remarked after a couple of minutes of uncomfortable silence had passed between them. "You wanna tell me what that's all about?"

"I was? I'm sorry if it came across that way. I guess I didn't realize I was doing that."

"You're a bad liar, Mikey."

A car drove by, sliding slightly on the slush covering the street before the driver regained control. Then it was just more unbearable silence accompanying the crunch of their shoes as they walked down the sidewalk's fresh coating of snow. They were halfway to the bus stop they needed to go to before she attempted to kick start the conversation again.

"I'm leaving in two weeks." She informed him soberly, as she pulled out her cellphone and opened up its photo gallery. "I finally got enough saved up for a good used car, and bought one yesterday." She handed him the phone to let him see her new transportation. "She looks nice, huh?"

"Yeah, it does look nice." Feeling even more confused over what to think, Mikey politely scrolled through the gallery. Feigning interest in the car, and pretending not to notice her staring hard at the side of his head.

"So…I'll be back on the road soon. Any suggestions on where I should strike out to first?"

He handed her back the phone numbly, "I dunno…is there any place you haven't been to yet that you'd like to check out?"

"I'm more interested in what you're thinking."

Hershel's farmhouse from the second season of 'The Walking Dead' popped into his mind. He always loved how cozy it had all looked. "Someplace with lots of farms and open fields would be nice I think."

"Okay…so how about you tell me what else is on your mind." She put the phone away, and walked into his path. Forcing him to stop walking. With her hands on her hips, she stood still and glared at him. "What did Alex and the old timers tell you that got you all riled up to avoid me the rest of the night?"

"Nothing!"

"Oh, come on! I may be drunk, but I'm not dumb," she snapped huffily. Rolling her eyes at his bad attempt to dance around the issue. "Let's not fight right before I leave the city, okay? I know they said something about me, all of you stole glances at me during your chat. So what was it? They think I'm bad news or something because I'm a vagabond?"

"No, it's not like that!" Michelangelo insisted, putting his hands up defensively. He didn't want her thinking his older friends didn't like her. "They, well, they think you want to have sex with me."

"Well, they weren't wrong." Sara replied with a burst of laughter, glancing down at his pelvis area. "I did my research online on regular turtle anatomy, and was very intrigued by how large their baby-makers seem to be. It kinda threw my curiosity into overdrive to be honest!"

" _Aw, hell!_ " He thought, panicked. " _What do I do?!_ " He wasn't ready for this, how was he going to talk his way out of it without hurting her feelings.

"I know you're not into it though," she said nonchalantly, still grinning with amusement. "I remembered you told me once you were ace, so I know sex isn't something you're interested in at all."

"Well…" He hesitated, wanting to correct that stereotypical assumption but afraid of making things more complicated by doing so. He caught her eye, and knew it was too late to backpedal away from explaining it to her better. "Asexual folks don't find other folks sexually attractive to them…but they can and do have sex. I mean, yeah some asexual people are sex repulsed and aren't curious about it at all, but that doesn't mean all of them are like that."

"So, you  **are** interested in having sex?" She asked, sounding a little hopeful now.

"I am curious about it, yeah."

"Soooo…."

"Even if the threat of jail time wasn't a factor…I want to wait." Michelangelo chuckled nervously, giving her an apologetic look. "I like you Sara, honest, but…"

"We both know you like me a little more than that."

He stopped, the warmth fluttered inside him again as they locked eyes. He couldn't help feeling a little hopeful himself. Maybe her cynical opinion on relationships was just a front after all. "Sara…"

"Even if we were both human, it wouldn't work." She interrupted softly, giving him an apologetic look of her own. "Like I said before…"

"You and I want different things," he confirmed somberly. He tried to ignore the ache he felt as his emotions went through the whiplash. Hope had fluttered to life mere seconds earlier, and was now being smashed to bits just as swiftly.

"You're a sweet, old-fashioned kind of guy." Sara said with a kind smile on her face. "You want to wait and indulge in your curiosity with someone special who loves you back. You want a spouse, kids, a house with a picket fence, the whole shebang! I can't give you that. I mean…You're a really nice guy, a wonderful friend, with a great athletic body and a nice package if my internet research on turtles is anything to go by…so, yeah, I've had a few fantasies about you the past few days."

She glanced at him again, looking a little embarrassed. "…aaand, I'm sliding way too far into the TMI lane. Sorry! The thing is, I'm on the other side. I don't want the whole shebang; I don't want a committed relationship at all. Romance isn't my thing, and never has been. I just want a little bit of fun once in a while. So even though I totally find you attractive, and would love it if we were friends with benefits, I get it that we will never have that kind of arrangement and I'm sorry that you've developed feelings for me since we've gotten to know each other. If I could give you my aromanticism to magically take the fluffy emotions you feel towards me away, I totally would!"

Michelangelo nodded his head in understanding. Still feeling a little bummed out knowing she didn't feel that way about him and wasn't interesting in trying to date, but at the same time feeling relieved now that it had all been aired out. He was glad that the two of them had finally talked about the clashing, opposing, feelings they were experiencing towards each other. Love and lust, a song and dance that wasn't meant to be between the two of them. But at least no damage was done from them finally discussing it.

They were still good friends, and that was good enough for both of them.

After a brief snowball fight to ease the tension from the talk, the two continued on their way down the city's sidewalks. Hopping on a bus for a quick ride, and then getting off once they hit Queens and resuming their trek on foot. A few minutes later, they found themselves outside of the brownstone apartment building where Sara was co-renting with her friend.

"See you Monday?" She asked, as she headed towards the door.

"Yeah," he replied softly, "I'll see you on Monday." He turned to leave, and then stopped. "You drank a lot tonight, make sure you drink plenty of water or an electrolyte drink before you crash into bed. Okay?"

"Yes, mom!"

They both laughed, mutually grateful that they were able to ease so quickly back into friendly banter after such a serious conversation earlier. Then she went inside, and he turned to make his way back to the bus stop. Retracing their footsteps down the sidewalk.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter turned out to be longer than I expected it to be, and I managed to finish it in a timely manner too (when I originally posted it)! Yay me!
> 
> I meant to give more details on the extent of the Kraang invasion, and the size of the mutant population as a result of it, sooner than this but couldn't find the right way to bring it up without making it feel forced. It just kinda happened when I had Tony show up in this chapter, and I went with it. I hope it didn't feel too much like an exposition dump, and that it clears things up for any folks who were curious for more information.
> 
> Thanks for reading, if you have the time then please drop a line to let me know what you think so far!


	12. Peppermint Tea

** Tuesday June 14, 2022 **

"I remembered you mention the other day that you were looking for this, so when I saw it at the grocery store yesterday I snagged it for you!" Michelangelo told his friend when she opened the apartment door. Holding up the plastic bag with a grin on his face. "I kept it in the fridge at the garage. Ken asked if I could drop them off on my way home, I think he was afraid he'd forget and accidentally leave them at work."

"That's so sweet, you didn't have to do that!" Mitsu said gratefully as she welcomed Michelangelo into the family's tiny little apartment. She snatched up the bag, and peeked happily inside at the fruit he had brought them. "Yoichi loves these, I wish they were in season all year!"

She crossed the small kitchen and put the bag away in the fridge, then grimaced at the cluttered appearance of the apartment. "Sorry for the mess, it's been a little chaotic lately and we've kinda slacked on keeping things in order around here." She cleared the bills and junk mail off of the table, and gestured for him to take a seat. "Would you like something to drink? Tea maybe?"

"Yeah, sure!" He sat down, not at all fazed by the cozy mess, and watched her put the kettle on. "What kind do you have?"

"Lady Grey, Peach, and Desert Tea from my sister's trip to Arizona."

"Oh, what's in that?"

She plucked up the jar, whose contents looked very much like desert sand, and listed off the ingredients. "Let's see…freeze dried oranges, tangerines, limes, apple slices, with some spices and sugar thrown into the mix."

"That sounds pretty fab to me!" Michelangelo said as he got settled. "I can't stay long though, I gotta pick up some more painting supplies on the way home, and the place I like closes early on Tuesdays for some reason."

"No problem!" Mitsu chirped as she dumped a large spoonful of the tea into each of mugs she had pulled out of the cabinet. The kettle was only half full, so it didn't take long to heat up. In no time the delightful citrus, ginger, and apple scents floated throughout the kitchen. "How are things going with your father and sister?"

"Awesome!" The young mutant reported as he accepted his mug and took a sip. Grinning with pleasure as the flavors assaulted his taste buds. "I gotta make me a batch of this, it's wonderful!"

"I knew you'd like it."

"Well, to be fair, it doesn't take much to please me when it comes to food." He laughed, taking another sip as he watched her sit down across from him. "But yeah, things are going good with the fam! In fact, Kitsune has her appointment today to find out what their baby's sex is going to be."

"They don't want it to be a surprise, huh?"

"No, they're both too impatient to find out. Karai's really eager for a boy, you know. She wants to be sure that the Hamato bloodline and name will carry on."

"I'm sure that doesn't really matter to your father." Mitsu remarked, even though she understood why that was so important to her friend's sister. "I bet he's pretty excited about a grandchild, regardless of the genetics."

"You got that right," said Michelangelo, "he's so happy for Karai and Kitsune! He dragged out all of our baby stuff that he kept, and is planning on giving it to the girls at the baby shower. He's been working on this beautiful painting for them too; thus, my need for a supply run." He finished his tea, and got up to rinse his mug off in the sink. "You want me to put this in the dishwasher?"

"Oh, no. Leave it on the counter." Instructed Mitsu with a dismissive wave of her hand as she finished her own mug and got up herself. "The dishes are clean, we just haven't put them away yet." She plopped her mug in the sink, and then led him back to the door and gave him a hug goodbye. "Give your family my well wishes! Hope the art store has everything you're looking for!"

"Thanks! See you at work tomorrow?"

"No, I have to take Yoichi to his yearly physical. I'm working on Thursday though, so I'll probably see you then."

"Okay, cool!" He waved as he walked through the door. "See you then, and good luck tomorrow!"

The art store that Michelangelo and Splinter preferred wasn't far from the apartment, and he was there within the next five minutes. In and out relatively quickly too, thanks to the good luck of finding just what he was looking for right near the front of the building. The sun was beaming brightly in the sky when he went back outside, peeking out at him between the big fluffy clouds he loved so much. He was getting to a point, skill-wise, that he was feeling confident enough to try to paint them by memory now instead of relying on the soothing instruction videos he enjoyed working with.

He glanced down at the bag swinging in his hand, and smiled. He loved painting, and he loved that it was a pastime that he shared with his father. Michelangelo felt that they had gotten a lot closer since they started painting together nearly nine years earlier.

" _Huh, the weather today actually kinda reminds me a lot of that day_ ," he thought to himself. Reflecting on his 17th Mutation Day, and how nice it had been. In the distance, like back then, he could hear the sound of a street musician strumming on what sounded like a banjo. Singing a song to the tune, although the young mutant was too far away to decipher the lyrics. Wonderful smells from the street vendors and restaurants he passed also seemed reminiscent of that day, and he suddenly found himself craving egg tarts.

"Splinter won't mind if I make a little detour for some goodies." He remarked out loud as he took a moment to figure out the quickest way to Brooklyn. Whipping out his cell phone as he redirected himself, he called ahead to place the order. Everyone knew that the Xin Fa Bakery had the best egg tarts in New York City, and he didn't want to wait too long if he could avoid it.

A little over forty-five minutes later, he was strolling out of the bakery with a heavy bag and a pleased smile on his face. Now that his side-mission was accomplished, he made his way to the closest route back to the Lair. Opening up Snapchat on his phone, and giggling at the goofy snaps Sara had sent him while he was at work earlier.

"Sensei!" He called out happily when he finally arrived home, bouncing through the turnstiles and doing a backflip down the stairs. "I've got the painting supplies, and some tasty goodies!"

The Lair was surprisingly quiet, leaving Michelangelo to wonder if the soap his father liked watching had been postponed for some reason. Things were too juicy right now with the plot for his father to willingly skip an episode. Then the obvious answer flew into his mind. "Oh, duh! Kitsune must have had her appointment already." He figured his father must have gone out to visit with Karai and see the pictures from the visit.

He pulled out his cellphone and sent a quick text to his sister, ' _ **How did the appointment go? Got cute pics for me to see?**_ ', then he carried the painting supplies into the pit of the main room to put down on the table. He was about to head back out the exit, so he could swing by the-soon-to-be parents' apartment and join in on the fun, but he couldn't resist the tempting smells of the egg tarts for a moment longer. Greedily, he popped one into his mouth. "Omph! Hoooot! Too hot, but soooo worth it", he squeaked with a mouthful of the tasty treat. Chewing it quickly and swallowing it just as fast. Fanning his open mouth with his hand in an attempt to cool the burn, he darted across the Lair to seek out a soothing glass of milk.

He was taken by surprise when he entered the kitchen and slipped slightly on a puddle on the floor. "Whoa, what the?" His phone buzzed in his jeans from a text. He assumed it was Karai replying, but ignored it. Stepping back curiously, it took him a moment to identify from its faint smell that the lukewarm liquid was peppermint tea. Then he noticed something in his peripheral vision. Nearby, shattered, was his father's favorite mug. A wave of dread washed over the turtle as he peeked around the island table.

Splinter lay motionless in a crumbled heap on the kitchen floor.

"Sensei!"

Dropping the tarts in his horror, Michelangelo dashed around the island and fell to his knees beside his father. Gently rolling the rat over, as his heart hammered fiercely in his chest with fear. "Sensei, are you okay? Can you hear me? Dad?!" He quickly realized that Splinter wasn't breathing. When he checked for his pulse and then, in his panic over being unable to find one, listened for a heartbeat he was devastated to find nothing. "Oh no. No, no, no, no…"

Hands trembling, Michelangelo pulled out his phone again. Punching Jacob's name on the contacts list, he put the call on speaker and placed the cell on the floor as he began performing CPR on his father.

"Hello?"

"Jay, it's Dad!" Michelangelo sobbed as he began the chest compressions. "I came home and found him on the floor. He's not breathing, and doesn't have a heartbeat. I'm doing CPR now, I need your help. Please!"

"Oh my god," Jacob murmured, "I'm sorry. I-I can't. I'm at a conference in Boston." There were sounds of paper being rustled and a chair being scrapped back against the wooden floor of the boardroom as the doctor excused himself from his present company. "Keep doing CPR," he instructed, "I'll call my father. He'll bring Grandfather over to help you."

Nodding, the young mutant did as he was told and continued to desperately work to save his father's life. A sob of relief burst out of him when Splinter coughed mid-rescue breath and took a weak gasp for air when Michelangelo pulled back to let him breathe on his own. "S-sensei?"

The rat's breaths were shallow, weak, and his eyes remained closed as his head fell back heavily against the cold kitchen floor.

"Sensei?!" Cautiously shaking his father, the turtle was disappointed when he didn't stir again. "Hang on…I got you, Dad, I just need you to hang on for me." Gently picking his father up, Michelangelo cradled him cautiously in his arms and snatched his phone back up. Hitting Jacob's name again, as he dashed out of the kitchen and back to the entrance of the Lair. "I got him breathing again," he explained quickly as he exited the Lair. Making a beeline down the fastest route that went topside. "I can't wait for your grandfather, he needs help now! I'm taking him to the EPF Clinic!"

The next few minutes went by in a panicked blur. He ran across the city, pushing through the crowds, leaping onto and over moving cars if he needed to, and rushed into the building that haunted his nightmares. Everything sounded muffled, like he was underwater, and his vision tunneled. All he could focus on was the limp form he had cradled against his chest as he yelled for help and reluctantly handed his father over to the nurses, medical assistants, and doctors who came rushing forward in response to his plea. He staggered behind them as they rushed the rat to the Emergency Department, ignoring all attempts from the well-meaning staff to stop him.

He had lost his father for a few moments in the kitchen of his home, he sure as hell wasn't leaving his father's side now. Not until Splinter was sitting up in a clinic bed; smiling at him and reassuring him that everything was going to be okay.

In a daze, Michelangelo watched as the men, women, and mutants worked on his father in the room they had carried him into. Alarms were going off, rapid and screaming through the air. He stumbled back, until his shell hit the wall behind him, and watched the medical professionals do everything in their power to try and save Yoshi Hamato's life. The alarms ceased, and the horrific sound of the flatline ripped into him as he stared on in shock. " _No, this can't be happening! NO!_ " They took out paddles; he'd watched enough medical dramas over the years to know everything transpiring before him meant, and did his best to fight the tears he felt threatening to spill down his face.

"CLEAR!"

There was a whine, a strained noise for a moment, and then a thunk.

The sound of the flatline continued to pierce the air, almost mockingly as the medical team tried again.

"CLEAR!"

Another thunk was heard as his father's body flopped back onto the table after the second attempt to restart his heart.

Over and over again they tried; the vicious cycle continued, and the flatline relentlessly screeched out its hateful scream. Then, much to his dismay, the doctor who valiantly tried to revive his father said the words he was desperately praying he'd never have to hear.

"Time of death…"

"N-no, please…not my dad! Please don't give up on him!" He tried to go into the room, to reason with the men and women who stared back at him with genuine remorse on their faces. If they just tried again, if they tried a little harder, they could save him. They had to save him! "Y-you don't understand. He can't die! He can't, not like this! He's too young, he's got a grandchild on the way. He's gone through so much, he can't die! You can't let him die!"

A part of him realized he was screaming at the staff now, and that someone was holding him back. Stopping him from entering the room, and pulling him away. So he didn't have to see the doctor turn off the machines. So he didn't have to watch as they placed the sheet over his father's still body.

The horrific unrealness of it all swept over him.

The safety the building had promised him when he had forced his way in to try and save his father's life faded away. The veil had been lifted. The past ugliness that the building represented to him came slamming back into him with full force. It had claimed his brothers' lives when it was the Kraang's TCRI building, and now it had sealed his father's fate right before his eyes. "Why?...T-this can't be happening…Dad…" He was being pulled along gently, yet forcibly through the hallways. To a stairway. Then he found himself up on the roof.

It was a warm day out, but he couldn't stop shivering as his legs trembled and gave out beneath him. Nausea washed over him, and the egg tart he had selfishly scarfed down earlier came spilling out of him onto the gravel beneath his hunched over form. Whoever it was that had escorted him to the roof had taken a respectable step back. Giving him the space he needed as he got sick and gasped for breath as he cried himself hoarse.

He stayed that way for what felt like a lifetime, with his unknown guide keeping a silent vigil over him out of his line of sight. When he finally found the strength to, he shakily stood up again. Stretching his stiff legs. Turning to look over his shoulder to face the person who had come to his aid. He found himself oddly unsurprised to discover who it was.

"Bishop."

"You suffered quite a shock, and I could tell a panic attack was setting in." The agent explained in his usual emotionless tone. Although, there was a hint of understanding and sympathy in his expression. "You needed to get out, take in some fresh air, and I felt it was best to do so without an audience of civilians on the street gawking at you as you had a breakdown."

"…Thanks." Michelangelo murmured hoarsely, as he numbly made his way to the rooftop's doorway.

"Do you think that's wise?"

"I can't stay up here forever," the mutant replied quietly, "I have to see him…I have to say goodbye."

Bracing himself for the emotional onslaught that he knew would strike him the moment he walked back into the building, Michelangelo opened the door. Descending back down into his own personal hell with Agent Bishop following in his wake. He found his way back to the room where his father lay, mumbling choked apologies to the staff for his earlier conduct as he did so, and stood in the doorway. Staring in disbelief at the lifeless form beneath the white sheet. Hesitant and scared to go in, but knowing that he needed to face this agonizing truth. He couldn't avoid it.

Fresh tears traced the tracks of their earlier predecessors as he slowly stepped into the room. Making his way to the side of the bed, glancing briefly at the equipment in the room before forcing his eyes back onto the mass under the sheet. Reluctantly, he lifted a shaking hand up and slowly pulled back the fabric.

He stood there, staring long and hard at his father's face. Drinking in the details, and memorizing them. The different tones of his fur, which Michelangelo always admired. The lingering smell of peppermint that must have splashed on his robe when he collapsed in the kitchen. How at peace he appeared to be now, almost as if he were merely asleep.

Stifling a sob, Michelangelo stepped closer to the bed. Leaning down, he kissed his father's forehead. "I'm sorry I wasn't home…I love you so much, Dad!"

He didn't know how much time passed after that, but eventually he was escorted out of the room. The doctor who had tried to save Splinter's life was talking to him now. Explaining what had happened. Michelangelo had trouble focusing on what the doctor was telling him, but managed to work out that his father had suffered from a heart attack. That his rat genetics seemed to be to blame, despite his human origins and healthy lifestyle. He wondered if Jacob or his grandfather before him had ever considered that possibility when they did their medical exams. Had Splinter shown any signs before today that could have prevented his death?

Then the doctor asked about how he wanted to handle the body. He visibly flinched. He kept thinking that maybe if he closed his eyes and wished hard enough, maybe he'd wake up to discover this was some horrible dream. But he didn't linger on that delusion for long. He had wished just as desperately for that when he was 15 years old, when he had just lost his brothers, and was met with bitter disappointment.

"I don't mean to be insensitive," the doctor gently said to him, "but is there a funeral home you would like us to transfer the body to while you and your family decide on the funeral arrangements?"

Michelangelo stared back at him, wide-eyed and at a complete loss over what to do.

"I'll contact the funeral home and make the arrangements for the transport on Mr. Hamato's behalf." Interjected Agent Bishop, stepping forward to accept the clipboard and fill out the majority of the information. When he finished, he gently handed it to the alarmed mutant. "I can't do this part for you, Michelangelo. You need to sign and date this line here in order for the staff to do their part to set things in motion."

The turtle accepted it, and stared down at the paper. It looked like a blob of gibberish text to him. Filled with medical and legal terms that even with a calm and rational mind would easily have flown over his head and confused him. He nodded slowly, tracing the text to the bottom of the page where he was expected to sign. Scribbling his signature and the date where it was required of him. Then he handed it back to the doctor, who offered his condolences before heading off to give it to his secretary.

"Do you want me to contact your sister for you?"

Michelangelo blinked, and it took a moment for his overwhelmed mind to catch up. Karai didn't know. "That's very nice of you," he said tightly, "but I need to tell her about this myself." He let the agent guide him to the building's entrance as he slowly retrieved his cell phone from his pocket. Noticing the missed call notifications. Jacob had tried to reach him several times after he had quickly given the family doctor the update that he was going to the EPF clinic and hung up on the man. There was a text notification as well. He had guessed correctly when he had stumbled across the puzzling spill in the kitchen, his sister had responded to his earlier text.

" _ **Not yet, little brother. We're actually on our way to the appointment now. It's not very long, but we're heading out to dinner after to celebrate seeing what the baby looks like. We may see a movie too if Kitsune's not too tired. In case we do, why don't you and Father come over around seven? Love you both, see you then!**_ "

He glanced at the time on his phone. It was a little after six-thirty now, his sister would be expecting them soon. "I-I have to go. I have to tell Karai what happened to Dad." He stepped forward, and then hesitated. Looking back at the man who had been so surprisingly kind and supportive towards him. His past bitterness towards the agent seemed childish now, and he rushed forward to give the man a clingy hug of gratitude. "Thank you, Agent Bishop…"

If the government official was uncomfortable with the emotional embrace, he didn't make it known. He wrapped an arm around the turtle's shell in response. "You're welcome."

Michelangelo pulled away, gave Bishop a grateful look, and then turned back towards the exit. Looking down at the text message from his sister again with a grim expression on his face, he strode forward. It wasn't long before he found himself in the hallway outside of the apartment belonging to his sister and sister-in-law. They weren't home yet when he got there, so he sat down on the floor to wait. Leaning against their door, staring off into space.

He didn't hear their cheerful discussion echoing down the hall when they got off the elevator. He didn't hear the sounds of their high heels padding softly on the carpeted floor as they rounded the corner and walked towards him. He didn't notice them at all in his daze until he heard his sister's voice call out in greeting.

"Mikey, I hope we didn't keep you too long!" Giggled Karai as the couple got closer. Kitsune was beaming, with an arm linked with his sister's and an envelope in her other hand. "Is Father waiting inside?"

Standing up, Michelangelo did his best to stay composed. But their cheerful, expectant expressions shattered his resolve. His felt his lips begin to quiver, his face crumple with emotion, as he tried and failed to find his voice. His throat was tight, he was on the verge of crying again. "Karai…Dad's…"

Her smile faded. She was dumbfounded, and he could tell her mind was reluctant to register what his emotional reaction and stammered words were trying to tell her. Then it fell into place for her when Kitsune realized what happened and sobbed sadly. "No," Karai snapped vehemently. She pulled away from Michelangelo when he reached out to her. "Not him! Not after everything we've been through as a family!"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He sobbed, reaching out again. Grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her into a strong hug as she shook her head in denial and began to sob herself. "I did everything I could, and so did the doctors, but…but it was too late. They couldn't…"

Her wail of agony rang out through the halls, as the three of them embraced and cried together over the tremendous loss they shared.


	13. A Gathering With Flowers

**Wednesday June 15th, 2022**

He felt like a zombie when he finally dragged himself back to the Lair in the early hours of the morning. Consoling Karai as she grieved, while trying to keep it together himself, had drained the last of his energy. The turnstile clicked as he slowly passed through it, and he blearily took in the deceptive cozy appearance of his home. He was struck with the realization of how truly empty it had become. It once bustled with life, but now there was no one left. First his brothers, and now his father. The warmth was gone, and seemed to be replaced with a cold and unwelcoming air.

He stood at the bottom of the stairs for a moment, mind blank. It wasn't until he felt something nudge at his ankle that he snapped out of his daze. He glanced down; Spike was gazing up at him with that sleepy expression of his, opening and closing his mouth to express his simple request. "You must be hungry…"

Bending down to scoop the little turtle up, Michelangelo slowly made his way to the kitchen. Stepping on something soft when he crossed the threshold as the faintest hint of peppermint wafted into his nostrils. He glanced down, lifting his foot, and saw the remains of an egg tart squished into the crevices of his sneaker. Half of them, he noted, had flown out of the container and scattered all over the floor when he had dropped the bag. One had been nibbled on, presumably by Spike, but the rest appeared untouched.

He gently put Spike down on the island table, and shuffled to the fridge to scrounge up something for his pet to eat. Then he snatched up the fallen bag, throwing it and its contents into the nearby trash. Roughly yanking some paper towels off their roll, he set to work cleaning up his sneaker and the mess on the floor.

"Michelangelo?"

The turtle yelped in surprise and, still hunched over, hand frozen above one of the tarts he was about to pick up, he looked over his shoulder at the owner of the voice. For a crazed moment, he saw Splinter standing there. But then, in the blink of his eyes, his father's figure vanished. Vincent replaced him in the doorway.

"Jacob told me about Yoshi's passing. Words cannot begin to express how sorry I am," his uncle said softly. Entering the room and hugging the young mutant when Michelangelo stood up. "If there is anything I can do…"

" _Can you give me back all I have lost?_ " The young mutant wanted to ask as he numbly nodded his head in response to the offer. "I know, thank you." He murmured instead as he stiffly pulled back and resumed the mindless work of cleaning up the floor.

"Do you need help?"

"It's okay…I'm almost done with this."

Vincent shook his head, almost hesitant to elaborate. "No, I'm sorry. What I mean is…do you need help with the arrangements?"

Michelangelo paused mid-swipe, and watched the paper towel that was bunched up in his hand as it grew dark with the spilt tea he was cleaning up. He didn't want to talk about this, he didn't want to ever talk about it. But the clock was ticking, the real world didn't let you put things like this on hold.

He briefly wondered how Vincent planned to help him take care of it. He knew his uncle had lost Catherine, Jacob's mother, many years ago, but he himself didn't do anything about her funeral. Her family, who lived topside, had taken care of it while he grieved below with the tunnel community. Vincent had no knowledge of how things worked topside, and that's where Splinter's body was now. There were certain rules that needed to be followed in laying him to rest. It was a task that Michelangelo knew Vincent couldn't really help him with, but it warmed his heart that the man wanted to help him regardless. "I appreciate the offer, Uncle Vincent, but…this is really something my sister and I need to figure out ourselves."

The man with the lion-like face nodded his head, completely understanding. "If you change your mind, Jacob and I are happy to step in to help."

Giving his father's friend a tight smile of gratitude, Michelangelo finished wiping up the mess on the floor and threw the damp paper towels away in the trash.

* * *

 

**Thursday June 16th, 2022**

It was raining outside; a pleasant sort of shower with a faint cloaking mist accompanying it. A week ago, this sort of pretty drizzle would have awed Michelangelo with its simple picturesque beauty, and his fingers would have itched for a paintbrush to try to recapture it on a blank canvas. Today, it just seemed to amplify his melancholy mood.

He tore his eyes away from the window of the office, and looked back down at the pamphlets scattered across the desk before him. The sight of them immediately overwhelmed him again. It wasn't just that they further solidified the fact that his father was dead, although that obviously wasn't helping. There was just so much that needed to be done!

He was unconscious in Donatello's lab when Splinter had performed the funeral for his brothers, but Michelangelo knew it had been a simple ceremony. There were no bodies to bury, and what he remembered seeing the Kraang salvage from the explosion had long ago been destroyed. All that was left of his siblings were pictures and memories. The photograph of his brothers that Splinter had picked out was placed alongside the one featuring himself with Tang Shen on the shrine, and then some incense was lit for prayer. April, her father, Vincent, Father, Jacob, Mouse, and Timothy had gathered in the dojo to pay their respects, and that had been it.

That wasn't the case this time around. Splinter had made friends topside in the past few years, all of whom deserved to know that he was gone, and all of whom he knew would want to pay their respects to their departed friend. Michelangelo knew his own friends would want to show their support, and was fairly certain that Karai's friends would want to do so as well. He needed to put an obituary into the local paper. He wanted his father to be honored by his friends as well as his remaining loved ones.

Then there was the matter of conducting the funeral. Did he want an open casket for the wake, or a closed casket? Did he want to have the body buried? What kind of casket did he want? Where would the body be buried? Would he prefer to have the body cremated? What kind of urn would he want to use? How much was everything going to cost?

What would his father have wanted him to do?

"Mr. Hamato?"

Michelangelo sat up straighter in his seat, and twisted his neck to look at the well-dressed man passing through the office doorway. He had a polite smile on his face, and offered the mutant a hand. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Mr. Olay. I'm so very sorry for your loss." He made his way to the chair at the other side of the desk and took a seat. "This must all be very overwhelming for you."

"That's an understatement," Michelangelo replied with a humorless chuckle. He gestured at the array of pamphlets he had been looking through as he had waited in the office. "How…where do I begin?"

"What did you and your sister have in mind?"

The turtle hesitated, and glanced down at the cell phone poking out of his pants pocket.

He had tried to talk with Karai about it the day before, but when he got to the apartment Kitsune had informed him that his sister didn't want to see any visitors. She wanted to be left alone with her grief. That morning, before he had left for this meeting, Kitsune had called him in tears. Telling him that Karai had slipped out of the apartment in the middle of the night and, aside from a short text telling her not to worry, that she hadn't gotten a text or phone call since. His sister didn't reply to him either when he tried texting and calling her himself out of concern and an attempt to ease her wife's worries.

"Karai won't be coming."

Michelangelo knew she was okay. Physically, anyway. He knew she had taken off for a while after she had found out the truth about her parentage and who was really responsible for the death of her mother. Which is why her abrupt disappearance didn't really surprise him. He understood her pain. Understood her desire to run away so she could sort through her grief in solitude. He desperately wanted to do that himself, but he couldn't.

The ugly task set before him needed to be taken care of, whether he liked it or not. If Karai wasn't going to help him, then he would have to handle the arrangements himself.

"Why don't you, uh, just start from the beginning I guess." He prompted as he tore his eyes away from his phone and back to the man sitting in front of him. "Could you give me a run down on my options?"

* * *

 

**Monday June 20th, 2022**

It was almost ten in the morning. The double doors of the funeral home would be opening soon to welcome in those who came to pay their respects to the Hamato family. While Mr. Olay quietly reviewed where the attendant needed to direct people as they entered the building, Michelangelo watched the other staff as they finished placing the floral arrangements around his father's casket. It was a beautiful display, but he couldn't bring himself to appreciate it.

He felt numb, almost as if he wasn't even really there.

"Mikey…"

Glancing away from the flowers, Michelangelo looked towards the parlor where the photographs were displayed and saw Kitsune walking towards him. Karai had slowed to a stop behind her, lingering beside the collage of pictures to look at them.

"Hey," he greeted somberly as his sister-in-law pulled him into a strong embrace when she reached him. He hugged her back gently as his gaze rose up to watch his sister in the other room. "When did she come home?"

"Around midnight," Kitsune replied quietly as she too gazed over at her wife. "I don't think she slept at all though."

"I don't blame her." He hadn't slept either.

They watched as Karai lifted a trembling hand up to the photograph of her parents cradling her as a baby in their arms, and gently traced their faces. Then she pulled back, took a shaky breath, and slowly turned away. Crossing the parlor, and entering the room the pair were standing in. She kept her eyes fixed on the ground, deliberately avoiding the sight of the casket at the front of the room.

"You did a lovely job with that." She told Michelangelo as she leaned forward to hug him. "Father would have been pleased with how well you've handled this…unlike me."

"Hey, don't knock yourself down like that," he reprimanded her softly. Hugging her a little tighter to try and comfort her. "Dad would have understood."

Her teary eyes lifted up and locked with his own, seeing her pain mirrored in his. She smiled half-heartedly, and then she took her place beside her wife.

It wasn't long until the doors opened, and soon familiar faces began trailing into the building. Walking in, one by one. Slowly going where they were directed to go. Looking at the photographs, at the collage, and crossing the parlor into the viewing room to approach the casket and silently pay their respects.

Michelangelo watched on as the first of the grievers, Splinter's chess partner from the park, Wilson, came to a stop in front of the casket to stare at the body. How the man kneeled down next to the display and bowed his head in prayer. He found himself standing a little taller when the man stood up again and approached him, and felt a sort of detachment sweep over him even more as Wilson took his hand and gave his condolences.

Kitsune cried openly when Splinter's friend moved on to her, while Karai gave him a polite smile and a whisper of thanks as her own eyes glistened with tears.

But Michelangelo's eyes remained surprisingly dry as the men and women, mutant and human alike, continued to come forth with their polite expressions and words of sorrowful comfort. Even when Alex approached him and drew him into a comforting hug, the young mutant still found himself numb to it all.

Before he knew it, the guests had filled the rows of seats facing the casket, and Mr. Olay was guiding him to the podium.

"I, um…" His eyes flickered across the crowd before him. Singling out Alex near the middle on the right side, and then zeroing in on Karai and Kitsune sitting in the front row at his left. "Thank you all for being here today. For coming here to honor my father, and to join me in saying goodbye."

Hesitantly, reluctantly, Michelangelo turned his head to steal a glance at the body within the casket. He looked away, swallowing hard, and gazed at the group before him once more. "My father…Yoshi Hamato, or as others knew him, Master Splinter. Well, he was an incredible man. A wonderful man. The things he went through…" A lump formed in the young mutant's throat at the unfairness of it all. The numb dissociative feeling that had been driving him along was fading, and the harsh awareness of his reality was sinking in. Settling down upon him, suffocating him, as he tried to find his words.

He paused to compose himself. Forcing a smile, as he had long ago learned to do, as he tried thinking of the happy times to ward off the sadness. That's what Splinter would have wanted him to do. "He didn't let it drag him down. A friend betrayed him, he lost his family, and he…climbed up out of the ashes. Started all over again. He formed a new family, and he was the best father you could ever ask for!" The smile was genuine now. "He taught my brothers and I so much. He trained us so we could defend ourselves if we ever needed to, he taught us how to survive if he wasn't there to provide for us, he was always there to listen to our problems and always knew just what to say to fix everything." A tear slipped free, trailing down his cheek. "He was a wise, awesome presence in my life…and I'm really going to miss him."

Sad, polite smiles and teary eyes were on many of the faces that stared up at him from the crowd of grieving family and friends. Michelangelo smiled sadly back at them. Thinking of what his father would say in a moment like this.

"If he were here, he'd probably say that his death is merely another turn of a great wheel…and that, to honor him, we should look forward and not back. And that's what I'm going to try to do."

As he stepped down from the podium and made his way back to his seat, Michelangelo thought he caught a trace of peppermint in the air. When he scanned the room, and noticed the complimentary mints strategically placed in glass bowls at the corners, he shook off the fleeting hope that it was his father's presence comforting him. He wiped his cheek dry as he sat down, and snatched up his sister's hand in his own. He smiled at her, silently reassuring her as he gently squeezed her trembling fingers.

She reluctantly smiled back, her eyes bright with tears, and then stood up to make her way to the podium.

* * *

 

Karai's apartment looked small with so many people gathered in it.

When the memorial service concluded at the funeral home, Michelangelo and his sister had quietly announced that there would be a reception held at her high-rise apartment if anyone wanted to attend it. The siblings were pleasantly surprised to see that most of the people who attended the wake decided to do just that.

Michelangelo had prepared food ahead of time, but not nearly enough. Which is why he found himself in Karai's kitchen, scrambling to whip up a few more appetizers for their guests.

"Do you want me to take over?" Kitsune asked when she glided in to snatch a couple of bottles of chardonnay from the wine cooler. Quickly popping off the corks as she let her eyes wander over what he was working with. "If it's just simple finger food, I can handle it."

"It's okay," the turtle insisted off-handedly as he began displaying what he had thrown together onto the empty platter that he had recovered from the living room. "I'm almost done with this. I'll have to run out to grab more supplies if folks plow through these though." Completing the arrangement, he picked up the platter and joined his sister-in-law as she dashed back out to their guests. Placing the food on the coffee table when he returned to the living room, he caught the tail end of a story Vincent was regaling to some of the other people gathered there.

"-ith such incredible speed, that the assailants didn't see what hit them. If he wasn't there, I don't think things would have turned out as well as they did."

"He was quite a noble individual," Wilson remarked as he snatched up one of the little sandwiches from the tray. "He never liked getting praise for it though."

"He was a really nice, patient guy." Added a familiar voice, immediately snatching up Michelangelo's attention. He hovered by the couches and scanned the group of humans and mutants sitting there to determine who had spoken. A robotic-looking figure was sitting next to Wilson. He remembered shaking hands with the stranger at the wake and feeling a sense of familiarity from them, but couldn't place why.

"I'm sorry," the turtle remarked as he stepped closer to the group, "but I don't think we've met…are you a friend of Karai's?"

"Oh, we've met!" The stranger replied, sounding a little disappointed that Michelangelo didn't recognize him. "It's been a long time since we last saw each other, and I looked a little different back then…"

Slowly, it dawned on him who he was speaking to. "Timothy?"

"Hey there, Mikey."

The last time Michelangelo had seen the mutant formerly known as 'The Pulverizer', he was a blob of acidic liquid with his vital organs floating around in a tank in Donatello's old lab. Jacob had taken Timothy with him when he gathered up all of Donatello's research to provide to Agent Bishop, in the hopes that there would something amongst it that would help the EPF with their efforts to create a cure for the mutations so many citizens had suffered from because of the Kraang. Michelangelo had heard the EPF had constructed a robotic body for Timothy to get around in so he could try to have some semblance of a normal life, but had never crossed paths with the other mutant after that.

"Oh, wow…it's been a long time."

"Yeah, it has."

Vincent and the others politely excused themselves as the turtle sat down on the couch next to the other mutant.

"This is probably a stupid question considering what happened to you, but how are you?" Michelangelo asked with polite, almost nervous curiosity. Remembering, with a great deal of shame, how he had mocked and teased Timothy before his self-inflicted mutation.

"I'm good," Timothy replied without a hint of anger or resentment in his voice. "It was kinda rocky there for a while trying to get the right body for me to use, but I've got a really sweet robotic body now and help save lives on a daily basis. Everything's going pretty well for me these days, so I've got nothing to complain about."

"You're not a vigilante, are you?" The turtle remembered all too clearly how playing hero had landed his brother's friend into trouble in the first place.

"Nah, it's not like that!" Timothy laughed, and he reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet. Flipping it open and proudly flashing his badge. "I'm a cop now!"

"Oh, wow. That's awesome!"

"I know, right?"

"That's great," cheered Michelangelo as he gave the other mutant a clap on the shoulder in congratulations. "I'm really happy for you, dude."

"Thanks man," Timothy replied gratefully as he put his wallet back into his jacket. He twiddled his thumbs for a moment, and cast a curious glance at his companion. "I know your dad didn't think much of me, not that I blame him, but…do you think Donnie would have been proud of me?"

A little surprised by the question, the turtle sat back and reflected on his brother's relationship with the immature boy the mutant before him had once been. How concern for Timothy's wellbeing had fueled Donatello's desire to keep an eye on the trouble-seeking vigilante, and teach him at least the basics of self-defense in the hopes that the other teen would be able to get himself out of trouble if he landed in hot water. Remembering how his brother had desperately tried to prevent Timothy from mutating himself, and how he blamed himself when he failed to prevent the inevitable. That was when Donatello had begun obsessing over trying to find a cure for mutations.

"I was really selfish back then," Timothy said quietly. The regret and shame he felt over his past behavior was clear in his voice. "You guys were like superheroes to me, and I wanted to be part of that. I wanted the glory of being a hero, and didn't stop to think about what that really meant. I never considered how my actions would have consequences until I mutated myself, and it didn't turn out as cool as I thought it was going to be…"

Michelangelo nodded his head, but didn't say anything. He knew why mutating was such an appealing idea to Timothy back then. He remembered being tempted by it himself once, in the hopes that maybe it would make him smarter. Thinking his brothers might respect him if they didn't think he was stupid anymore. But then Timothy mutated himself, and he saw first-hand how horrifying the outcome could possibly be. Not just physically, but emotionally.

Timothy's mutation had absolutely devastated Donatello.

"I saw the toll my mutation had on him." The other mutant continued somberly, as if he had read Michelangelo's mind. "I really wish I could have told him I was sorry, that it was my own fault and that he shouldn't have been blaming himself for what happened…I'm going to regret that for the rest of my life." He couldn't cry, but his words expressed his grief and remorse over what happened perfectly.

Any resentment Michelangelo may have felt over the emotional impact Timothy's actions had put his brother through were swiftly forgiven. The immature teenager had learned a lesson from his mutation, had adjusted to his situation, and grew up to be an honorable man who became a hero the right way and for the right reasons.

"Donnie would have been proud of you," Michelangelo informed him with a smile. "And Splinter would have been too."

A slap to the face sliced through the quiet conversations going on around them, and made both mutants twist around in their seats to see what had happened. Jacob stood near the kitchen with his right cheek red from the blow it had taken, while Karai stood before him with a venomous expression on her face.

"Get out of my house, now!" She snarled as she pointed at the door. "I don't care if you're Vincent's son, you have no business being here!"

"What the hell, Karai?!" Hissed Michelangelo as he darted across the room and placed himself between the two. Realizing almost immediately by the way she carried herself that his sister was a little drunk. "Jacob is my friend, he's practically my cousin, why are you-?"

"Father's dead because of his incompetence!"

"Honey..." Kitsune whispered as she walked over and gently took her wife's arm, trying to calm her down. "That isn't fair."

"Fair?" Karai screeched, pulling out of the other woman's grasp and gesturing at the doctor with her glass of wine. "Father died far too young, months before the birth of the grandchild he was so excited for, because this fool of a physician didn't take his mutation into consideration! If he's treating mutants, then he should have been researching the animals they share DNA with instead of acting like they're the same as humans. He could have prevented this from happening!"

"We don't know if there were even any signs of this coming…" Michelangelo tried to argue calmly, glancing at Jacob with an expression on his face that he hoped made clear to the man that he didn't blame him for Splinter's death. "For all we know, Dad might not have shown signs of it at all."

"Dr. Chandler should have known." His sister argued tearfully. "He should have done his research like a good little boy, and should have educated Father of the warning signs. Our father wouldn't be in the middle of being cremated right now if this man did his job correctly!"

"Karai-"

"I can't believe you're still defending him!"

"Seriously?" Michelangelo snapped, he was becoming angry himself as he helped Kitsune guide his sister to the bedroom where they would have a little bit of privacy. He was embarrassed by how Karai was treating his friend, and of the scene she was making in front of everyone. "You know that I would have been home earlier if I hadn't taken a detour to get those egg tarts we all love so much." He reminded her as calmly as he could once they were inside the spacious master suite and behind the privacy of the closed door. "I might have been there when it happened if I didn't make that pit stop, and he could've gotten medical attention sooner and might have survived. Or he might not have, we have no way of knowing! If you're going to blame Jacob for something he had no control over, then are you going to blame me too?"

"I **do** blame you too!"

He felt like he had been kicked in the gut. "You don't really mean that…"

"Oh, but I do!" Karai snarled, wrenching away from him when he tried to reach out to her. "Don't touch me! I don't even want to look at you right now! Get that fraud out of my house, and go home!"

Shocked, completely at a loss for words, Michelangelo looked to his sister-in-law for help. Kitsune had tears glistening in her eyes as she consoled her wife, and she regretfully nodded her head when he locked eyes with her. She wasn't backing him up in this fight, not that he blamed her.

"Okay…I'll go."

Numbly, he exited the bedroom. His anxiety flared up when he found himself greeted by the awkward silence and sympathetic glances of the guests who had heard the entire ordeal. "She's a little upset and overwhelmed right now…" He explained as he walked away from the closed door and made a beeline back to Jacob.

"I am sorry about this, Mikey."

"It's not your fault, Jay…" The turtle mumbled as he guided his friend to the apartment door. "She just needs space to chill."

"Mikey, wait up!" Alex exclaimed worryingly as he crossed the room. "I'll go with you guys, I need to get home anyway." Once they were out in the hallway, away from curious ears, he flanked the young mutant's side and wrapped an arm around him in a hug. "She's grieving, kiddo. I'm sure she didn't mean it."

"Yeah, you're probably right…"

"You can crash at my apartment for the night if you want." The old man offered as they approached the elevator. Pressing the button for the first floor once they were inside it. "It would be completely understandable if you didn't want to go home right now."

"I appreciate that Alex, but I think I'll pass."

"If you're worried about Spike, I can take care of him for the night for you." Jacob volunteered with a nod towards Alex. "You might rest easier if you're not home tonight."

"I know you guys are worried," Michelangelo replied calmly, "but I'll be fine at home." He tried to give Alex a look of reassurance. "If I change my mind, I'll go straight to your place."

"Okay then, if you're sure."

"I'm sure."

At the time, the mutant had meant it, but when the time came he didn't honor his promise to his elderly friend. Instead, he lay in his bed and stared at the dark ceiling. Sleepless. With the image of Splinter laying sprawled on the kitchen floor burned in his head.

* * *

 

**Tuesday June 21st, 2022**

"Would you like us to have these flowers delivered to either one of your residences?"

Michelangelo tore his eyes off of the plastic container that held his father's ashes within, and looked up at Mr. Olay. "I'm sorry…what was that?"

"Would you like the flowers delivered to any particular address?"

"We'll divide them," Karai declared as she approached them with Kitsune trailing behind her. She looked pale, and didn't bother to remove her sunglasses. "We have more light in our apartment, but I want some of the flowers on the shrine with Father's remains. He would have taken pleasure in these beautiful arrangements."

"Yeah," Michelangelo agreed. He tried to catch her eye, but his sister skillfully avoided looking at him. Whether she was still mad at him, or ashamed of her behavior the night before, he couldn't tell. "We'll do that." He tucked the container under his arm, and motioned for the funeral home director to hand him a couple of the bouquets. "We can take them home now ourselves. I can probably carry at least three of them."

The floral arrangements were divided amongst the mutant and the two women, and they silently left the funeral home with their cargo. The trip to Karai and Kitsune's apartment was excruciating.

"How are you feeling?" He asked his sister after the awkward silence became too unbearable for him. "You kinda look sick."

"It's just a hangover," mumbled Karai, "I'll live."

It felt like a lifetime before they reached the apartment building.

"Why don't we place them all on the coffee table in the living room," Kitsune suggested. Slipping into interior designer mode as her wife and brother-in-law slipped by her to do as she said. "I'll place the ones we keep around the apartment. Why don't you pick which ones you'd like to bring down to your home, Mikey. You'd know which ones your father would have liked best."

Karai shot her wife an irritated look, but didn't comment. Instead she angrily stalked off towards the kitchen. It wasn't long before the sound of a cork being removed from its bottle and liquid sloshing into a glass could be heard.

Michelangelo noticed the disapproving yet concerned look Kitsune cast towards the kitchen, but kept his mouth shut. Karai didn't want to hear his opinion right now. The sooner he got out of the apartment the better.

He looked over the various floral arrangements, and found himself being drawn to a unique-looking bouquet of yellow daffodils and pink lilies. Curious to know who had sent it, he plucked up the card and read the note elegantly scrolled on it. A genuine smile flickered to life on his face. "I'll take these ones, Dad would have really liked them."

When he arrived home later, he placed the selection of flowers he had decided on around the base of the shrine in the dojo. Then he carefully poured his father's ashes into the urn Jacob had bought for him. It was beautiful, and Michelangelo was grateful to the doctor for selecting it for him. He had assumed the funeral home would provide an official one, and didn't discover until the night of the wake that his father's remains would be returned to him in a temporary container to hold them in until he transferred them elsewhere.

Smiling sadly, the young mutant carefully picked the urn up and placed in on the center of the shrine. Putting the picture of Tang Shen with Yoshi on one side, and the photograph of his brothers on the other side. Then, after a moment of careful consideration, he rearranged the flowers once more. Placing the potted yellow, white, and purple violets on one side, with the pink and white orchids behind it. On the other side, he placed the yellow and peach colored dahlias. Finally, at the front, he placed the flowers that had brought a smile to his face.

"How does that look, Dad?" He asked aloud as he stepped back to look over the new arrangement. "I think Kitsune's mad interior design skills are rubbing off on me…"

Staring at the display before him for a little while longer, Michelangelo stepped forward again and kissed the urn. Then he lit his father's preferred incense and left the room. Making his way topside without a clue over what he was going to do with himself once he got up there.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timothy wasn't originally going to appear in this chapter. Originally, when I wanted to bring him into the fic to explain what happened to him after the brothers died, I was going to have him visit Mikey while he was recovering at the EPF clinic back in Chapter 9. But the conversation they were having just wasn't working for me in that setting no matter how many times I tried re-writing it. So I decided it would have to wait for a later chapter, and then I found myself writing their encounter here instead.
> 
> This chapter was hard to write for obvious reasons, but it was necessary. Part of growing up is having to deal with emotional blows like what Mikey's been dealing with these past two chapters, and will have to deal with for the next few chapters to come.
> 
> I hope everyone who's been reading this story has been enjoying it so far. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	14. Head Above Water

**Thursday June 30th, 2022**

Just keep swimming.

Over the years, that simple phrase had been Michelangelo's mantra. A whisper in the back of his mind whenever he faced a new challenge he had doubts he could master. He'd simply close his eyes, take a breath, and summon the words. Facing his problems head on with a brave face and a bright smile.

After all, he had already gone through so much. Losing all three of his brothers in one horrible instant. Being held prisoner for two weeks; scared, alone, and hurting both physically and mentally. Then losing a friend when it all came to an end and the dust had settled.

But he stood tall after every blow he had been dealt, and things slowly got better.

He gained a sister in Karai, a surrogate brother in Ryan, and became closer to Splinter than he had ever been before the tragedy of the TCRI mission. He gained so many friends in the new world he had woken up to after recovering from his coma following the mutant breakout. Getting a job and exploring his interests without restraint or criticism; he embraced living his life to the fullest because it would be a waste not to.

It would have been an insult to his fallen brothers if he took his second chance at life for granted when they had been robbed of theirs.

He relied on the mantra less and less as the years passed by, and was able to let himself enjoy living his life without fear. Because that's what his brothers would have wanted him to do. Because that's what he himself wanted to do, and it was so easy to let himself enjoy his new life when he was relishing in the freedom and relationships he had become privileged to have.

Now, sitting alone in a dive bar with his cell phone sitting on counter in front of him, he finds himself bleakly thinking that he was being punished for enjoying living his life without his brothers. The mantra he stopped relying on had flickered through his thoughts frequently since Splinter's memorial service, but he discovered that it had lost its motivating power after years of disuse.

It disturbed him to realize, as he glanced at his cell phone, that sinking into the depths had become frightfully alluring to him these days.

"Could I get another one of these?" Michelangelo asked the bartender as he wiggled the empty bottle of Budweiser between his fingertips before placing it back down on the counter. He didn't particularly care much for it, there were plenty of other brands whose flavors he greatly preferred, but he wasn't drinking to satisfy his palate. He just wanted to get drunk.

It shamed him to know that he was breaking the silent promise he had made to his father at the memorial service. He knew the sorry state he was in wasn't what Splinter would have wanted for him, it would have upset his father deeply to see him like this. He was just finding it harder and harder to care.

A new bottle was plopped down in front of him, and he robotically popped off the cap and took a long swallow of the bitter liquid. For the hundredth time that night, he picked up his cell phone and opened the messenger app. Clicking on Karai's name, he stared down at the message he had sent her a few hours earlier. Just like with his previous messages, she hadn't replied to it. Her radio silence since the memorial's reception ten days earlier fueled his suspicion that she was still angry and had meant it when she had assigned the blame for their father's death on his shoulders.

He wondered if she knew, when she had twisted the metaphorical blade in his heart as she cried out the accusation, that he had already laid a thick layer of blame on himself for coming home late that day?

Unlike her wife, at least Kitsune was replying to his texts. They were quick and to the point, but she wasn't ignoring him completely. " _Kitsune's too polite to give someone the silent treatment._ " He thought as he switched over to her name and opened up their last conversation. She had discovered the present he had left on their doorstep before he had sought out the dive bar he was currently held up in, and she thanked him for remembering their wedding anniversary despite their recent loss.

The distraught mutant had hoped that his sister would have texted or called him herself in response to the gift, and was slowly resigning himself to defeat. Karai was alive, but she was lost to him now. His family was gone. He guzzled down more of his beer at that thought, and tossed the cell carelessly aside.

"Is this why you look like death warmed over when you come in for your afternoon shifts lately?"

Choking mid-swallow, with beer dribbling down his chin and spilling onto his shirt, Michelangelo coughed and wildly glanced over to his left for the source of the voice. Surprised to see Louie taking a seat on the stool next to him. "Wha-," he coughed again to clear his throat, and snatched up a couple of napkins to clean himself up. "Gah, sorry. W-what are you doing here?"

He had spent the past few nights in dive bars like this one specifically because he didn't want anyone seeing him drinking himself into a stupor.

"Can't a guy get a drink at a bar on his way home after a long day at work?" Louie replied innocently as he reached over to spin the beer bottle around so he could see the label. He made a face, not a fan of the brand himself, and signaled for the bartender. "Hey pal, can I get some gin on the rocks over here?"

It was Michelangelo's turn to make a face. "You're not mixing that with anything else? Ew, that stuff's really gross on its own!" The first time he had gotten blackout drunk was while drinking gin, and he couldn't help thinking of the hangover he had the next day whenever he heard someone order the beverage.

"Well, at least I ain't drinking that!" The man retorted as he gestured at the turtle's choice of beer.

"Yeah, well…"

"You're not drinking for pleasure, huh?"

Ashamed, Michelangelo looked away and fiddled with the corner of the label on his bottle. Picking at it until it started to peel away from the glass. "I'm not getting shitfaced, if that's what you're worried about." He said as he successfully tore off some of the paper, bunching it up into a little ball and putting it aside by his phone. He took another sip, and then resumed with his fidgeting. "I just…need it."

He could sleep at night after having a few drinks. And if he was really lucky, he didn't dream.

"I ain't giving you a break if you show up hungover," his boss warned him.

"I won't."

"Well then, drink away!"

Chuckling humorlessly, Michelangelo joined Louie in a toast. Clinking the neck of his bottle lightly against the short man's glass. Tilting his head back, he took two large swallows as his companion took a sip from his own drink. The turtle noticed his boss side-eyeing him out of the corner of his eye as he placed his beer back down on the counter.

"So…how have you been holding up?" Louie asked after a moment, sounding mildly uncomfortable. He always was reluctant to express concern over any of his employees. Especially when it came to family matters.

"Fine, I guess," mumbled Michelangelo as he poked at the paper ball he had made. Refusing to look his boss in the eye. "Just taking it one day at a time."

"You know…You do have a lot of accrued vacation time saved up. If you wanted to take a break…"

"I just need to keep busy."

Louie grunted at that, and focused on his own drink for a few moments. Stealing glances at the mutant next to him periodically. "Reiger's worried about you." He finally said after his own poorly disguised concern became too unbearable for him to bottle up any longer.

"I told Alex he didn't have to worry about me."

"The mechanic and his little wife are worried about you too."

"So, pass the memo along to them that I'm fine."

"Look, Hamato…"

Through with humoring his boss, Michelangelo downed the rest of his drink and threw a wad of cash on the counter for the bartender's tip. "I gotta go!" He mumbled as he snatched up his cell phone and shoved it into his jeans. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey, come on!" Louie called out after him, hurrying to finish his own drink and catch up with the upset mutant before he lost sight of him. "Mikey, hold up!"

"Wow, I must really have you rattled if you're actually calling me by my name!"

"Don't get smart with me," Louie grumbled angrily as he waddled to the mutant's side and grabbed him by the arm to stop him from leaving. "A lot of people care about you, you know. You just lost your dad, and instead of dealing with it-"

"I am dealing with it!" Michelangelo snapped, pulling his arm out of the man's grip and continuing to make his way towards the bar's exit. Pushing the door open forcefully, he found himself back on the sidewalk with his boss two steps behind him. He spun on the man before Louie had a chance to speak. "If I wasn't dealing with it, then do you really think I would have been capable of handling arranging the memorial service? The freakin' cremation?!"

"You didn't have a choice," his boss reminded him. "Your sister dumped it on you when she flaked out."

"She needed space!"

"She could have sucked it up and helped you!"

"Well she didn't! I took care of it, and now all I'm asking for is to just be left alone so I can do my job and try to move past this."

"Yeah, except you're not just doing your job," Louie argued. "You've taken on extra shifts! Not only that, but Reiger, the Norinaga's, and Gary have all told me you've shown up at their apartments this past week with groceries and insisting on making meals for them."

"If you want, I can cook for you too!" Said Michelangelo dismissively as he turned to leave. "Cooking helps me, okay?"

"Taking a break will help you." Insisted Louie as he maneuvered his way in front of the turtle, holding his hands up to stop his driver from walking away. "Kid, even before your dad's death you spent way too much of your time taking care of other people. You volunteer to do errands all the time for Reiger, you switch shifts with other cabbies on a whim if they need different hours, you bring in home cooked meals all the time for everyone at the garage, and then you handled your father's funeral services by yourself and went into overdrive after that. When do you ever take the time to take care of yourself?"

The mutant stared him in the eye for a moment, then sighed. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Louie." He replied in a tired tone.

His boss reluctantly stepped back and let him pass him by. "Yeah, whatever kid."

The short man's worried gaze followed the young cabbie. Watching as he disappeared into the crowd bustling down the sidewalk. Finding himself strangely reluctant to, Louie turned to go back into the bar and order another drink. As he pulled open the door, he couldn't help the nagging dread he was feeling when he thought of his normally bubbly driver. Grumbling to himself, his eyes flickered back and forth in thought until an idea struck him.

With surprising speed for a man of his build, he crossed the bar and reclaimed his seat. Slapping his palm on the counter to grab the bartender's attention. "You wouldn't happen to have a phone book, would ya?"

* * *

 

Michelangelo let his feet guide him mindlessly through the city, although he had no real destination in mind. All he knew for certain was that it was too early to go home. He was tired, but not enough to succumb to a dreamless sleep. After the encounter with his boss, drinking in solitude had lost its appeal. He supposed he would just have to wander until exhaustion lured him back to the home he didn't want to return to.

It surprised him to realize, after a period of time had passed by, that he was running across the city's rooftops. When he finally skidded to a halt he found himself facing the old TCRI building. He was frozen on the spot, unable to tear his gaze away from the still-menacing structure. The familiar feelings of an oncoming anxiety attack began coiling to life within him, but he couldn't find the strength to move.

Part of him wanted to fight it off, but another part of him wanted it to happen.

The looming dread became more and more intense as his heart fluttered with fear. He wrapped his arms around himself, and he collapsed to his knees sobbing as a wave of strong emotions struck him. He saw his brothers faces flash in his mind, and then he heard Raphael's last words echo in his ears. He remembered, as if he could ever forget it, the roar of the explosion above him as it tore apart the room the portal was in and destroyed everything that was in it. Remembered the way the building shook when the bomb had gone off, and the terrifying sight of the Kraang swarming him as he desperately tried to fight his way through the mob they had formed around him.

His heart was pounding, his chest ached, but he couldn't calm himself down. As he began to hyperventilate he remembered the sight of his father on the kitchen floor, the sound of the flatline, and then how strange his father's body looked in the casket at the funeral home. Karai's angry and tearful accusation looped in his ears in replacement of Raphael's desperate plea.

She wasn't returning his texts. First his brothers, then his father, and now he had lost her as well. It was too much to bear.

" _Just keep swimming…_ "

He felt himself slipping from the lifeline the mantra represented. He was tired of struggling to keep his head above water. It was so tempting to just let his grief, with the older loss flaring back to life and interlocking with this unbearable fresh hole in his heart, finally drag him under once and for all.

Small arms embraced him from behind, clinging to him almost desperately as a frightened voice pleaded with him to breathe slowly. The arms pulled back, fingertips brushing his shoulder as their owner came around to his front, and then he found himself captured in a warm hug. A hand ran soothing circles over his cracked shell, while the familiar voice whispered repeatedly in his ear that everything was going to be okay. He could smell strawberries in the woman's hair from the shampoo she liked to use.

"It's okay, little brother. I'm here now, it's okay."

* * *

 

He didn't know how much time had passed since Karai found him in the middle of an anxiety attack on that rooftop. All he knew was that he now found himself in the comforts of her apartment. Sitting on her couch, draped in too many blankets, while his sister sat at the other end of it with a worried expression on her face. He didn't have the energy to ask why she was concerned.

"Here, Mikey, drink this."

He blinked, still feeling a little out of it, and looked up at his sister-in-law. She held a steaming mug in her hands, and leaned down to hand it to him. She had a similar expression etched on her face, but didn't linger in the room. After sharing a glance with her wife, she excused herself and went into her office. Quietly closing the door shut behind her.

"It does help a little…" Karai informed him softly, with a light gesture at the mug. "It's lavender, chamomile, and mint." She shifted in her seat, looking ready to leap up at a moment's notice. "I can grab some sugar from the kitchen if you need it."

"No…that's fine." He lifted the mug up, blew at the hot liquid, and watched with mild amusement as the rising steam was temporarily blown off course. He took a sip and savored the mixture of flavors. The chamomile, as usual, overwhelmed its companions, but he didn't mind. "This is way better than a bottle of Bud."

"It won't make you feel more depressed than you already are either." His sister said in a slightly judgmental tone. She realized her own hypocrisy, and glanced away with a hint of guilt on her face.

"Ha! Like you're one to talk!" Michelangelo remarked with a roll of his eyes as he gestured at the nearly empty bottle of red wine that was still sitting on the coffee table in front of him. "What is that, Merlot? I cut myself off after a maybe four bottles, how many glasses of that have you been downing every night since the memorial service?"

"Too many!" Kitsune shouted through the closed office door, earning an annoyed look from her wife.

"Okay, fine, so maybe I haven't been handling this whole thing all that well myself!" Admit Karai huffily as she leaned across the couch to snatch the mug out of his hand, taking a sip for herself before she handed it back to him. Her annoyance subsided, and her concern for her brother flared back to life as she noticed again how tired, haunted, and defeated he looked under the surface of that teasing grin. "You kinda freaked me out back there on that rooftop."

"How did you even know I was there?"

She couldn't help chuckling. "Well, I got a phone call here at the apartment from a very rude little man..."

"Oh, no." Groaned Michelangelo as he shot her an apologetic look, placing the mug down on the coffee table. "I'm sorry about Louie, sis! He's likes to get in your face with his tude."

"Yeah, well his call made me realize a few things and got me to get off my ass and go looking for you when you wouldn't answer your cell."

"You called?" He didn't remember hearing his cell phone ring after leaving the bar. Pulling it out curiously, he was surprised to see that he had indeed missed several calls from his sister. "Huh, I guess I didn't hear it."

"When I found the Lair empty, I felt like checking out the area surrounding the TCRI building was a good idea. Although I don't know why, really." She continued to explain, looking perplexed for a moment. "I just had this strong feeling something was wrong, and that I'd find you near there."

"Thank you…" Michelangelo replied after letting what she said sink in. "I couldn't snap myself out of it. Thank you for helping me get through that attack."

"I should have stepped in to help you sooner." His sister murmured, looking over at him remorsefully. "Your boss was right. I bailed out on you when you needed my help the most…and then I had to go and be a real bitch and blame you for what happened to Father. I am so sorry for that!" Scrambling over to his side of the couch, she pulled him into a hug again. "That was cruel of me, and I never should have said it. I was drunk, and was angry at Dr. Chandler, and I took it out on you for defending him."

"I-it's okay."

"No, it's really not. I shouldn't have ignored your texts either. I wasn't thinking about how it would make you feel, and I'm sorry for putting you through that." She pulled back and smiled at him. "But thank you for trying to make me feel better. You're too kind and forgiving for your own good, little brother."

She repositioned herself to sit cross-legged on the couch, stealing one of Michelangelo's blankets to cocoon herself in. Then she picked up the still steaming mug of tea and helped herself to another sip.

"Aren't you a germaphobe?" He asked as he watched her enjoy the tea her wife had made.

"I guess you've become the exception." She replied with a shrug and a brighter smile, handing the mug over to him to drink. "So…we're both a hot mess right now, and have both chosen to do the worst thing we could do to deal with Father's death." She gestured at the wine bottle on the coffee table to make her point. "What do you think we should do about it?"

Michelangelo looked back at her, pondered the question, and thought of Louie's insistence that he take a break. Now that the air had been cleared with Karai, now that he knew he hadn't lost the only family he had left after all, he didn't feel so resistant to the suggestion. "I dunno. You want to go on a road trip?"

His sister shot him a baffled look.

"Louie, Alex, Ryan, Mitsu…everyone keeps telling me I need to take a break to deal with how I feel about Dad's death. And…well," he shrugged, "I kept fighting them on it. But after what happened, and now that we've finally talked…I don't think it's such a bad idea."

"You really want to spend hours alone in the same car with me?" Karai asked in a deadpan tone, raising an eyebrow as she stared at him in disbelief. "After how horrible I've been to you lately?"

"Why not? It's been forever since we did something fun together, just the two of us." He bumped shoulders with her playfully. "We both could use a vacation…I think Dad would have wanted us to do this."

"Yes, well he certainly would approve of us going on a road trip to work through our grief as opposed to what we've been doing the past few days." His sister agreed with a nod as she looked away and took a moment to think about it. Her gaze wandered, landing on the bottle on the coffee table, and her expression shifted to one of determination. She abruptly got up after a moment, letting the blanket fall off of her shoulders onto the hardwood floor, and she roughly plucked up the wine.

Michelangelo watched from his position on the couch as she walked over to the kitchen, and poured what remained of the bottle's contents down the drain.

"Sure," Karai said with a hint of nervousness as she turned to face him with a smile. "I'm game. When do we leave?"


	15. Crossroads

**Monday July 11th, 2022**

An annoyed grunt broke the silence in the little motel room, prompting Karai to pause in her reading and peek over the top of her book to gaze over at the source of the noise. She found her brother sitting cross-legged on his own bed, staring intensely at the little laptop he had propped up on top of his pillow. "What's up?"

Michelangelo sighed irritably, and tapped at a few keys. He exited out of the document he had been working on, logging off of the small device with an air of defeat. "It's this freaking chapter! No matter what I write, nothing seems to work. The flow's all screwed up, everything looks clunky, and nothing clicks. This is, like, the fifth time I've deleted it and started over again from scratch!" He closed the laptop, and moved it to the end table. Then he twisted himself around from his sitting position and flopped backward onto the pillow, flicking his eyes over to meet with hers. "This chapter's killing me, sis."

"Maybe you need a break from working on the story?"

"It's been a month, over a month actually, since the last chapter update. I'm letting my readers down!"

She gave him a soft, reassuring smile that reminded him greatly of their father. "No, you're not. I don't dabble with it myself, but I know writing's hard work. I'm sure your readers do too. They'll be okay with the wait, trust me."

"I guess," he dismissed with a sigh, turning his gaze to the ceiling, where he noticed a water stain near the corner of the room. He found himself wondering how old it was as he stewed in his emotions. "It still gets to me though," he admits huffily after a moment, throwing his arms up in the air with frustration. "I've had blocks before, but not for this long! It's not like I don't know what to do in the chapter. I know exactly what I want to have happen in it, and for the ones that come after it too. It's just not, I dunno, translating correctly onto the screen." With the burst of dramatics out of his system, he let his arms flop back down to their dormant places beside him. "It's annoying…the words are there, they just don't wanna come out!"

Karai slid a torn stub of paper between the pages to mark where she was leaving off, and placed her book down on the end table beside her own bed. Getting up, she wandered over to his side of the room. Climbing onto his bed, and settling beside him. Joining him in his examination of the popcorn-style ceiling above their heads. "You've been under a lot of emotional stress lately, little brother." She reminded him gently, keeping her gaze trained above them as she spoke. "Maybe you should put off working on this story until we get home? Until you're more at peace with Father's death…" She bumped her shoulder against his, and turned her head to study him. "That is why we decided to do this road trip."

He knew she was right. Heck, it had been his idea to do the trip in the first place. But it had been two days since they had left New York City, and he still wasn't feeling any better than he had been before they had left. Even after spending an entire day enjoying the beauty of Niagara Falls and exploring all the tourist attractions in the surrounding area, he found himself feeling pretty underwhelmed by the experience. One minute he'd feel nothing at all, just an empty numbness that made him wonder if there was something wrong with him. The next minute he'd be overwhelmed by the emotions. Relieved, because feeling like that was normal and meant he wasn't broken, but hating the sadness so much that he almost welcomed the numb feeling when it swept over him again.

He sighed, and snuggled closer to Karai. "Yeah, okay. I'll leave it alone for a while." Writing, alongside with cooking, was his passion. He had tried using both as distractions since the funeral, but neither brought joy to him as they normally would. More often than not lately, he found both activities to be a chore that he was forcing himself to do, and he hated feeling that way about his favorite past times.

He just didn't know what to do with himself.

It was different from when he had lost his brothers. Back then, there had been a dozen distractions to momentarily take his mind off of the shock of that loss. First it had been his time spent as a Kraang prisoner, desperate to survive for Splinter's sake. Then it was the escape and returning to the safety of his home. The coma, and his long recovery from what he had undergone at the hands of the Kraang came next. Then the excitement of Karai joining their family, only to be followed by sadness over April's abrupt exodus from the city without a word. Before he knew it, he was finally registered as a mutant citizen of the United States of America, got his ID, and took that first trek to the streets above in broad daylight. Finding himself walking into a brave new world, all the while wishing he could share the experience with his brothers.

It was a lot to take in during those first few months. But whenever the grief squeezed its way in, he always had his father to lean on to help him through it. Maybe that was part of the problem. Perhaps that was why Splinter's death seemed to, in a way, hit him harder in these past few weeks than what he had experienced in the wake of losing Raph, Donnie, and Leo. His father was Michelangelo's rock during those early grieving stages, the last remaining link to his lost brothers.

And now Splinter was gone too.

"What do you miss most about Dad?" He asked his sister quietly as he felt her shift next to him from the position she had been lying in. She gently pulled her arm out from where it was trapped in between the siblings' bodies, and then he felt her take his hand in hers. "I miss the smell of his favorite tea in the morning."

"I miss how warm his eyes were when he smiled," Karai whispered back.

"Yeah, me too. And when he hugged you, how soft his fur felt when it brushed against your skin."

"How silently he moved during my training sessions with him. That always impressed me." She glanced at her brother, and smiled at a memory. "You know, your style always reminded me of Father's."

Michelangelo turned his head to face her, raising a brow with amused bafflement. "What do you mean? I was always cracking jokes and making noise. I did my best to stay quiet and stealthy when we would sneak up on someone, but once we went into battle mode I couldn't help but be loud."

"True," giggled Karai, "you weren't always quiet. But you moved like he did. You have a way of dancing around your enemies, and letting them exhaust themselves trying to strike you down as you'd dodge their attacks. Waiting for just the right moment, when you've found the opening you were looking for, to catch them off guard and take them down. Father did that too."

"Huh," he blinked with surprise as he thought back on it. Smiling a little as he remembered the way Splinter moved in the dojo during their training sessions with him. "I always admired how he fought…I guess I was emulating him without even realizing it."

"It was nice, training with him." Karai reflected as she turned her gaze upward to the ceiling once more, closing her eyes contently as she let her memories play back behind closed eyelids. "It was such a different experience than training with Shredder had been. My adoptive father was unrelenting. He didn't hold back at all. Like I told you before, he felt it would make me weak if he showed mercy on me during our training sessions. He was cold and distant about it, almost lethal at times, and he never spoke to me unless it was to bark out a command. Father, while formal and professional with his own manner of teaching, was so very kind and gentle about it in comparison."

"Yeah, he was strict and stern with us, but he was never detached from us during those sessions. He was our Sensei, but he was Dad too. And he had this uncanny…'daddy-sense' I guess you could call it. He could always tell when something was bothering you, and he wouldn't drop it until you told him what was up." It was Michelangelo's turn to chuckle a little as he thought of the other ways that sixth sense of Splinter's seemed to kick in. "He always, always knew when we were up to something we knew we shouldn't have been doing. Like, the thought would cross your mind to do something you knew he'd totally not be okay with, and two seconds later, I swear, his head would whip around and he'd give you this don't-even-think-about-it look." The stern expression flashed in his mind, and he couldn't help giggling even as he felt tears streaming down his face. He missed Splinter so much. He would give anything to see him again, even if it were only to be scolded for something stupid he had done. "Oh, geeze. I can't stop thinking about it! The stupid stuff my brothers and I would think up! Dad would walk by, give us that face, and we'd abandon the idea and scatter."

"I can imagine him being that way," his sister remarked with a bittersweet smile as she watched the mutant wipe the tears off of his cheeks. She was almost hesitant to say anything else, knowing her brother was hurting, but then thought the better of it. Wondering if perhaps a reminder of the good things to come would help ease his pain. "…I intend on perfecting that look by the time my son's old enough to start getting himself into trouble."

It took a moment, but once her words registered in his head a smile burst onto Michelangelo's face. "You're having a boy?! Really?!" He asked excitedly, happy to let the joy sweep over him and dull the sadness that had begun to creep back in on him during their conversation. He realized, guiltily, that he had completely forgotten that Kitsune had gotten an ultrasound done to identify the baby's gender. "Wow, that's awesome!"

Smiling back, with tears glistening in her eyes, Karai nodded with pride. She shifted next to him, and reached into her back pocket to retrieve her wallet. Delicately pulling out the ultrasound image that had been taken of the growing fetus, and passing it along to her brother. "Kitsune and I have decided to name him Yoshi."

Michelangelo stared down at the black and white image in awe, feeling excited and happy for the lucky couple. "Oh, Karai, he's beautiful. Dad…he'd be so honored that you're naming your first born after him." Fresh tears, joyous ones, slipped free as he stared at the picture of his nephew. "When's he due?"

"In October," Karai replied happily, taking the photograph back to stare at it herself. "It's almost hard to believe!"

"It'll be here before you know it," he remarked as he watched her put the picture back into her wallet. He felt a pang of admiration for his sister, everything was coming together so well for her. A successful career, a place to call her own, a wife, and now a baby on the way! He knew she was grieving too, but at least she was able to push her sadness aside. He envied that. He was having a hard time doing that himself these days. "I'm so happy for you, sis."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me."

They remained on the bed together, staring up at the ceiling as their conversation shifted from baby talk to what their plans for the next day would be. It would be another eight hours of driving, with their next target on their trip being Portland, Maine, but Mikey was always on the lookout for interesting sounding stops to make the long trek more bearable. Eventually, they agreed to call it a night, and Karai migrated back to her own bed.

As they turned off their table-side lamps and settled down for a long night's rest, Michelangelo's mind wandered back to Karai and Kitsune's baby. At first, he was excited that he'd have a nephew to spoil in the near future, but soon his ever-present sadness washed over him again. It broke his heart that Splinter wasn't there to share their joy over the upcoming birth. " _He's here in spirit…_ " He tried to tell himself, although it brought little comfort.

It shook him to suddenly realize that by the next morning, it would have been four weeks since Splinter's passing. Four weeks that had felt like a miserable lifetime to the young mutant. While he was happy for his sister, and excited for the new life growing within her beautiful wife, he couldn't keep that happiness in his heart. He felt like it was already slipping through his fingertips, like he was only allowed to experience it for a few moments before the cold hard reality of his life came back into focus.

Karai had spent the last few years climbing up from the ashes; reinventing herself, building a family, and daring the world to challenge her happiness. Remaining strong in the face of tragedy. Lately, Michelangelo felt like he had just been coasting with his own life. Directionless. And that feeling had intensified in the wake of his father's death.

" _What do you want to do with your life?_ " He could almost hear Splinter asking him.

Would he ever be anything more than a cab driver? Would he be able to overcome his depression, and find happiness again? Would he ever have a family of his own someday?

Part of him didn't care anymore.

"I don't know…"

Despite desiring sleep desperately at this point, the young mutant's mind remained stubbornly awake. Assaulting him with various thoughts and images as his insomnia took hold of him. He lay in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling he could barely see now, as a cocktail of the good, the bad, and the ugliness that lingered underneath the surface danced around in his head.

If he wasn't remembering the sight of Splinter's lifeless body on the kitchen floor, then he was finding himself thinking of Sara and the life he wished they could have had together. His fantasy family life was swiftly replaced with unwanted memories of his Kraang cell. But then, just as fast, his brothers flashed in his mind next. A memory of himself sitting with Donnie in the lab, as he watched his brainy brother do his work, transitioned into one of him lounging on the couch with Leo as his older brother watched a repeat of Space Heroes. Quoting Captain Ryan word for word as his favorite character spoke. Then he was standing before the old arcade game, gleefully on the verge of beating Raph's high score as his red-bandana wearing brother fidgeted in the background. His brother grumbled as the score rose higher and exceeded his own, while wearing a hint of a proud smile on his face as Mikey cheered in victory.

Unfortunately, the nice memories were short-lived.

Much to Michelangelo's chagrin, the unsettling sight of a pair of Kraang standing over him flashed in his mind next. One pressed a button that made the platform he was strapped to tilt until he was completely erect, yet still unable to move, while the other one pulled down a saw. Walking off to the side, with metallic feet clanging loudly against the floor, and out of sight behind the powerless turtle before the horrible device was turned on and he felt it grind into his shell.

He was suffocating in the horrific memories, his body trembling as they flashed through his mind. He shook his head, tossing and turning in the bed, and pressed his face into his pillow to muffle his sobs. Trying not to disturb Karai's sleep, even though part of him desperately wanted her comfort. He stifled a sob, and felt the warmth of his tears dampen the fabric. He tried to will the images from his mind, summoning up happy memories instead, but it seemed useless. Each time he successfully conjured up a happy recollection, the unpleasant invasive thoughts creeped their way back in.

Then, out of nowhere, a warmth blanketed his entire body and he caught a hint of peppermint in the air.

As his heart and mind were soothed by the sensation and smell, he found himself remembering some obscure childhood memory that hadn't crossed his mind in years. A vivid dream he had experienced once when he was very young, when he was about five or six years old, where he was floating in space and staring at the famous storm on Jupiter. Then he was flying in the air over an evergreen forest through the nighttime sky. Slowly floating down to the ground into a yard. There was an old farmhouse there, with a barn and a pond nearby. He remembered how pretty it all looked in the moonlight, and how he had wanted to go swimming. Recalling how the scene before him reminded him of a song he had heard on the radio back then.

The memory brought a strange peace to his anxious mind, putting a stop to the rapid invasive thoughts and memories that had plagued him up until that point. With his eyes fluttering shut, he slipped into a welcome sleep. His memories of the dream resurfaced again, as he happily found himself back there.

He smiled at the house, feeling drawn to it, and then he walked towards the water. Admiring the reflection of the full moon across its surface. His father was sitting in the grass, but not as Mikey had known him. In this dreamscape, he was human again. Smiling at Michelangelo as the turtle approached, looking happy and unburdened by his own hauntingly tragic past.

"Come sit with us, my son." Yoshi beckoned him, as he gestured at a picnic spread that hadn't been there a moment before.

There was a noise from the pond, a quiet splash of disturbed water, and Mikey's eyes flickered over to see what the cause of it was. Finding himself oddly unsurprised by the sight of a beautiful woman emerging from the pool of moonlight. She reached her arms out, a loving smile on her face. "You can be free of your sorrow here, dear child." She told him as she walked up the bank. "Let the water cleanse your troubled soul, sweetheart. It pains us to see you so sad!"

Yoshi got up as Tang Shen reached them, and they stood side by side before the young mutant. Smiling at him, they both reached out their hands to touch him.

And then he awoke.

Sitting up with a startled and longing cry, he unconsciously reached his hands out in front of him. Searching the darkness of the motel room for the man and woman that had moments ago been standing before him. "Oh, please…" He sobbed as the disorientation that came with being woken up suddenly began to be cleared from his mind. As he began to register where he actually was, and that what he had just experienced was just a dream. "…come back…"

He got out of bed, eager to turn on the lights but restraining himself from doing so. Instead, he silently paced the room. Hugging his arms, going back and forth from one end of the room to the other. Afraid of being unable to fall back asleep, of being tormented by the ugliness that had kept him awake earlier. While at the same time, exhausted and hopeful that if he wore himself out enough then maybe he would fall straight back to sleep. Praying for the peaceful dream to entrance him again.

It took a few hours before he felt sleep tugging at him once more, and he timidly crawled back under the covers and rested his head back upon the pillow. Letting his heavy eyes fall shut, as he sank back into the blackness of unconsciousness. No nightmares greeted him, but the pleasant dream he had been hoping for didn't resume either.

He spent the rest of the night in a dreamless sleep, curled in a ball and longing for comfort.

* * *

 

**Thursday July 14th, 2022**

They were driving through New Jersey, on their way to Pennsylvania for the final stop on their road trip before heading back home, when the storm began to pass over them. Michelangelo had barely noticed it as he stared obliviously out the passenger window while Karai drove. His wandering mind remaining unaware of it even as lightning bolts streaked across the sky, and the boom of thunder accompanied them. It wasn't until the rain began mingling with hail that he finally took notice of the bad weather. Specifically, when a large ball of ice struck the car's windshield, cracking it upon impact, had jolted him from his distant thoughts.

"Aw, fu-!" Hissed Karai with surprise. The car swerved a little until she composed herself, steadied the vehicle, and then pulled over to the side of the road. Sharing her brother's look of disbelief as they stared at the crater in the glass and the cracks that spider webbed off of it. "Damn…Look at the size of that ice…" She murmured, having never seen anything like it before during her time in the USA. "They're almost as big as baseballs!"

"Yeah," Mikey whispered in awe as he watched the chunks of ice bounce off of the car's hood onto the grass and asphalt beside them. His eyes rose upward to study the sky, and a sense of dread began to build in his gut when he noticed the greenish hue of the clouds and the way they were churning above them. "This isn't good, sis. Tornadoes around here aren't a frequent thing, but they do happen sometimes and I'm seeing a lot of check marks on the list of things you should look out for of one brewing. We gotta find shelter, pronto!"

Trusting his judgement, Karai nodded silently and cautiously pulled back onto the road. Scanning the sky for signs of a funnel cloud as they approached a neighborhood. The wind had picked up in speed since the hail had fallen, whipping leaves and debris around them which worried her. "Should we just stop at one of these houses, or do you think we should keep going and go inside a store or something?"

Before he had a chance to respond, the car was suddenly shoved sideways by a violent gust of wind. Michelangelo cried out in shock at the impact, hearing glass shatter and feeling the shards prick into his face. He brought his arms up to shield his eyes as the glass flew, and felt something else scrape up against his forearm in the process. Through the howl of the wind he heard Karai gasp, and then tires squealing as the breaks were slammed down on as the car slid aside. Then he pitched forward as they finally jerked to a stop. His seat belt hugged him tightly, preventing him from smashing his face into the glove compartment.

"K-Karai?" He croaked as he blinked his eyes open, squinting against the rain that streamed through the broken windshield as he lowered his arms away from his face. He glanced over, and whimpered when he saw his sister's unconscious form beside him. Her wet hair clung to her face and neck, which was also peppered with tiny wounds from the shattered windshield. Then he noticed the blood, his eyes trailing it to its source where he saw it leaking from her right shoulder. A large broken branch had punctured it, pinning her against her seat. "Karai!"

He struggled with his seat belt for a moment before finally wrenching it off of himself, and then leaned over his sister's still form. Hesitantly reaching out, careful not to touch the branch, and pressing his fingertips against her neck. A shaky sigh of relief burst from him when he discovered a steady pulse beating strong there. "Okay…I'm going to get us out of this mess." He reassured her, even though he wasn't sure if she could hear him or not. "I just gotta figure out how to get you out of here without making that shoulder wound worse."

Michelangelo knew that it was better to leave the branch wedged in her shoulder for now than remove it. He didn't want to risk her bleeding out or making the injury worse, and knew it was best to leave the task of removing it to the medical professionals once he was able to get her to a hospital. But that would have to wait. With the storm raging around them, potentially giving birth to a tornado at any moment, he knew they couldn't stay in the car either. The wind seemed to be getting worse, which didn't bode well.

He needed to act, and fast, if they were both going to survive this storm.

Taking a firm and steady grasp of the thicker end of the branch with one hand, he flattened his other hand and lifted it high. Bringing it back down swiftly, with a determined cry, and successfully breaking the branch in half. Shoving it back through the broken windshield to get it out of the way, he cautiously tugged at the bloodied end that had penetrated through his sister's shoulder and into the driver's seat, until it was free from the cushioning.

"Alright, let's get you somewhere safe."

Getting out of the car and dashing over to the driver's side, Mikey unbuckled Karai and picked her up as carefully as he could. Hunching over her, trying to shield her from the angry winds, he ran down the street and across the yard of the closest house. Pounding on the door desperately. "Hello?" He hollered over the storm, slamming his fist harder on the door after jiggling the knob only to find it locked. "Is there anyone home?" When there was still no answer, even after ringing the doorbell, the turtle gave up completely on being polite and took a step back. Giving the door two strong kicks before it gave way and flew open, finally giving him access to their salvation.

"Sorry, not sorry." He mumbled as he rushed inside and closed the door shut behind them. He'd happily pay for the broken lock once the danger had passed, but right now he had other things on his mind to worry about.

He walked through the house quickly, assessing the layout as he went until he found the door that led down into the basement. He flicked on the light and flew down the steps, grateful to discover an old futon at the bottom near the center of the room, where he immediately placed his sister's body. Careful to lay her in a manner that didn't shift or dislodge the piece of the branch still lodged in her shoulder. "I'll be right back, okay?"

Back up the steps he ran, and throughout the house he scavenged. Gathering up all the first aid supplies he could find, along with a few pillows, blankets, flashlights, and water bottles. He brought it all down into the basement, spreading everything out beside the futon before running up the stairs again to close the door. Noticing an old stereo radio on the shelf at the bottom of the stairs, he turned it on and turned up the volume. Pausing for a moment to listen to what the latest weather report was, he felt a spike of fear upon hearing that there were multiple reports of a funnel cloud in the area. Knowing there was nothing else he could do in preparation of an assault on the house, he went back to the futon and immediately began tending to Karai's wound. Cleaning it and bandaging it as best he could, feeling hopeful when he noticed that it didn't seem to be bleeding much anymore.

He decided to take that as a promising sign, and tried not to worry over the fact that she was still unconscious.

Feeling parched, Michelangelo snatched up one of the water bottles and guzzled half of it greedily before it dawned on him that he should probably be conserving it. While still thirsty, he twisted the top back onto the bottle and put it aside. Leaning over his sister, and taking her temperature with the back of his hand. Frowning at the hint of warmth he felt there. He knew it wouldn't be good news if she developed a fever. "Where's the Tylenol…" He muttered as he turned his attention back to the first aid supplies. He snatched up the Acetaminophen, scanning the directions and warnings written on the bottle, and then poured a couple of the tablets into his hand. Cautiously sitting his sister up, he slid them into her mouth and slowly poured the water for her to drink. Keeping a watchful eye on her, making sure she was able to swallow the medication and liquid without choking on them.

Then there was nothing left to do but wait. So he settled down on the ground beside the futon, close to Karai's bedside so he could more easily monitor her temperature and breathing. Half listening to the weather alerts as the storm continued to rage outside. He brushed the hair from out of her face, and thought about everything she had waiting for her at home. Praying to the universe that they would survive this ordeal.

A few minutes passed, and then it suddenly sounded like a train above them as the windows in the rooms upstairs smashed, and he heard some of the furniture scrapping against the floor as they shifted in the fierce wind. The tornado had touched down after all, and was now making quick work of the house above them. Determined to protect his sister, Michelangelo got up and threw himself over her cautiously. Hoping to shield her from the worst of it if the house ended up collapsing down on them.

A noise he couldn't quite identify cut through the roar of the storm, the warnings on the radio, and the sound of his own heartbeat hammering in his ears. At first, he thought he had imagined it. Until he heard it again, a little louder this time. It had come from behind him, near the corner of the right side of the room, and he swerved his head around to seek out its source. Finding himself staring into a pair of beautiful greenish-blue eyes belonging to a black maine coon that was sprawled out on a pile of towels next to the washing machine and dryer.

"Hey there, pretty kitty." He greeted, unable to prevent the smile from blossoming on his face. He always loved cats. Slowly, not wanting to spook the feline, he reached out an arm and rubbed his fingers together. Making kissy noises at the cat, trying to coax it over to him. An orange tuff of fur, that he had at first mistaken as one of the towels, shifted beside the cat and squeaked out a little mewl. Mikey realized it was a kitten, spotting another one that had a more brownish looking coat beside it. "Aw, babies!"

The mother cat shifted, keeping a cautious gaze on him, and seemed to whine as she arched a little. Lifting her back leg, sitting up and leaning over as if she were going to start grooming herself, only to lay back down and shift again. He noticed a wet mass, and realized she was still giving birth. Finding himself completely fascinated, he watched on. Focusing so intensely on the miracle of life that he was bearing witness to, that he no longer heard the chaos of the storm above them anymore.

Eight or nine minutes passed before the kitten was out completely, and its mother was quick to block it from his view to clean the amnion off of its body.

"W-would you look at that…how sweet…"

Startled by the sound of her voice, Michelangelo turned his head back down to find his sister awake and smiling at him. She cast her eyes back at the happy scene, gesturing with her chin at the cat and her kittens in the corner. "Now, that's not something you see every day." She remarked as she slowly sat up, blinking down at the branch protruding from her shoulder. "Oh, that'll be a doozy to deal with when it finally comes out."

"Oh, thank god!" Mikey exclaimed with a happy laugh, scooting back a little to give her some space. "How do you feel?" He asked as he handed her a fresh water bottle and watched her take a few cautious sips. "I gave you some Tylenol after patching you up, but I don't know how much that helped with the pain."

"I'll live," replied Karai with a smile of gratitude. She reached out with her good arm, and hugged him. "I'm just happy to see you alive and well, little brother!"

"I've lived through worse," he joked, "a little tornado sure as hell wasn't going to stop me!"

"Naturally!" His sister laughed as her eyes wandered towards the basement ceiling. "So, one did touch down after all?"

"Yup! It was right on top of us for a few minutes there."

While the tornado itself seemed to have passed, the weather outside was still fierce enough that the siblings decided to keep waiting it out until the rain stopped and the radio deemed it safe to venture outside again. In the meantime, they continued to watch the mother cat and her kittens with childlike fascination. Both of them were touched deeply by the sight of new life being born into the world.

By the time the home owner returned, just as the weather finally began to clear up, three more kittens had joined the happy litter.

* * *

 

**Friday July 15th, 2022**

"Well, here we are. Home sweet home!"

Michelangelo passed through the turnstiles with Spike perched on his shoulder, and made his way slowly down the stairs. Finding himself happy to be home again after such a nerve-wracking experience the previous afternoon. Karai had her surgery, with no scares, and was impatiently recovering at the hospital. Her car was in a New Jersey shop getting repairs done, and it was expected to be finished over the weekend. He insisted on picking it up for her so Kistune wouldn't have to venture out into the storm damaged section of the state to retrieve it. Although, that wasn't his only reason for wanting to make the trip on his sister-in-law's behalf.

Picking up Karai's car gave him the perfect excuse to swing by Woody's house to check in on him and the cute little cat family he had bonded with in the man's basement. He planned on making a big meal for his new friend. After all, he did owe the guy a new lock for his front door. Cooking him something nice was the least he could do.

"Why don't I whip us up something to eat?" Mikey remarked to his pet turtle as he dumped his backpack on the floor of the pit, and migrated towards the kitchen. Quickly producing a light meal for them as his mind went over the scary experience again. Zeroing in on how close he had come to losing Karai in that storm.

If he had lost her too, that would have been the end of him. He was certain of it.

She had lived though, which was a tremendous relief for him. As harrowing as the experience had been, it had also lit a fire in him that he felt had been burning out over the past few weeks. It made him realize that he did want to live. Not just for Karai's sake, or to honor the wishes of his departed family, but because he wanted to for himself. He wanted to figure out what he wanted to do with his life beyond being a cab driver. He wanted to meet someone and fall in love, to have those feelings returned, and to start a family of his own someday. He wanted to reclaim the happiness that he had begun to forge and enjoy over the past few years before it had been snuffed out by the loss of his father the month before.

Karai lived; she was flourishing despite her own hardships, and he wanted that for himself too. Just as he always had, even if the desire to had been buried deep under his depression for a time. After everything he had gone through himself over the years, he knew he was lucky to be alive. He didn't want to throw it all to waste, and hoped he could keep his head above water easier with this epiphany in mind than he had been able to in the past month.

Munching on some sliced cucumbers, the young mutant made his way back to the pit to retrieve his backpack. Picking it up off of the floor, he was about to head off to his room when something caught his eye. The painting supplies he had bought the day of Splinter's death were still sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch.

He stared at them for a moment, letting the familiar sadness wash over him but refusing to let himself drown in it this time. Putting the bag back down on the floor, licking the salt that he had sprinkled on the cucumbers off of his fingertips and wiping them off on his jeans, he wandered over to the supplies and stared down at them.

Remembering the painting Splinter had been working on as a gift for Karai and Kistune, and wondering if he'd be able to finish it himself.

"Yeah…I think I can pull that off."

He smiled, then picked up the backpack again to go put it in his room. Intending on heading into the dojo next to retrieve the partially finished canvas from Splinter's room so he could work on it. He felt sad, but the thought of painting brightened up his spirits a bit. Even though it was a pastime he shared with his father, which he knew he would always think of now whenever he picked up a paintbrush, it was a therapeutic hobby first and foremost for him as well.

He just wasn't ready to take it up again until today.

Carefully putting the painting down on the easel, and laying out the colors and brushes he would be working with, Mikey took a moment to study the partially-finished artwork. Admiring his father's skill without letting it create doubts over his own abilities. Closing his eyes, he took a breath. Letting a quiet calm wash over him as he unconsciously reached out and selected a brush. Tapping it gently in water, before hovering it over the color palette. Opening his eyes only after he had dipped the bristles into the paint, raised the brush upward, and pressed it against the untouched portion of the canvas.

Focusing on the love he held for his family, and letting it flow.


	16. Thinking About Tomorrow

**Saturday July 16th, 2022**

"Oh, hi. It's Mikey, right?"

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind that I stopped by." Michelangelo replied with a bright smile as he gestured at the car that was parked on the street in front of the house. "I was back in the area to pick up my sister's car from the shop, and thought I'd check in and see how you were doing!" He explained in a rush, presenting the man with the tuna fish casserole dish he had prepared before he had left the city. It was still warm, and smelled wonderful.

"Totally random decision, huh?" Woody asked jokingly, with a brow raised as he smiled at the offered food. "You sure you don't want to come in and see how Luna and her kittens are doing?"

"Weeeellll, if you insist!"

Mikey was welcomed into the house, handing the pan of food over to his host. He took a brief glance around at the damage in the living room as they walked down the hall. The windows that had been shattered were now boarded up, and some of the furniture that had been broken had been put aside in the corners of the room since Thursday afternoon. "It's not as bad as I thought it was," he observed.

"Yeah, only the front windows got damaged. I lost a few shingles on the roof from a branch that smashed against it, but there were no holes or major damage done there. Most of the furniture was just blown around, and what did get busted up during the storm will be quick and easy to repair, so it's not a big deal." Woody led him through the rest of the house and into the kitchen, where he placed the pan on the stove top. Peeling off the tin foil, and inhaling the steaming food gratefully. "This smells awesome, by the way." He pulled out a couple of plates from the cabinet on the left side of the stove and served the food for the two of them. "There's soda and beer in the fridge, if you'd like something to drink." He told Mikey as he handed him his plate. He eagerly scooped a forkful of the casserole from his own dish and plopped it in his mouth. Slowly chewing, and groaning with appreciation. "Man, this is fantastic!"

"Thanks!" The mutant replied happily as he scanned the beverages in the fridge. "I figured you'd be a little overwhelmed with dealing with getting the damages to your house fixed up, and might be a little unmotivated with doing any cooking. I know I get like that when I've got a lot of cleaning to do. Plus, I totally owe you for breaking the lock on your door." He grabbed a can and closed the fridge door, putting his beverage on the counter hastily so he could retrieve his wallet from his jacket. He started to pull out the money that he had brought with him when his host stopped him.

"Hey, man, don't worry about it!" Exclaimed Woody, his fingertips brushing against Mikey's as he politely pushed the hand with the offered money down. "You guys were in danger, and needed coverage from the storm. For all we know, the door might have gotten busted up anyway, so it's totally fine." He took another bite off of his plate, and grinned. "Besides, you made me food. That's plenty of payment for me!"

"You sure?"

"Totally!" Greedily taking another mouthful of the casserole, Woody closed the gap between them to reach around the mutant and pull open the fridge door. Plucking out a bottle of Guinness, and expertly popping the cap off on the edge of the sink. "How is she doing? Your sister, I mean." He asked before taking a gulp of the bitter liquid.

"Oh, Karai's doing good!" Michelangelo informed him as he took a sip of the grape soda he had settled on. "She's going stir crazy though because they wanna keep her there for at least another day for observation. Ya know, to make sure there's absolutely no infection from the wound. But so far, it's looking like she's on the road to a quick recovery."

"You did a good job treating her injury, so that's not surprising to hear."

"Really?"

"Yeah," insisted Woody, looking surprised by the disbelief being expressed by his guest. "Wait, you don't work in the medical field?"

"Nah, dude," Mikey laughed. "You're looking at one of New York City's finest cab drivers!"

"Seriously? Did you have medical training in the service or something?"

"No." With his humor evaporated, the mutant sobered up and leaned back on the linoleum counter between the sink and the fridge. "When I was younger, my older brother used to get medical training privately by a family friend who's a retired doctor. I'd pop in sometimes and sit in on those lessons. I thought it was cool seeing what made the body tick, and figured Donnie shouldn't have been the only one learning how to fix us all up if something went wrong. I'm surprised Dad didn't make Leo and Raph learn some of it too…"

Sensing he had stumbled across something a little too personal for his guest, Woody merely nodded his head in understanding. Respectfully keeping his questions to himself, despite his curiosity. "That's cool, man. Hey, if you ever decide to pursue it, which I think you should do because you seem to have a knack for it, I'm happy to lend a hand with any study sessions! I'm a Registered Nurse, so I wouldn't go easy on you!"

"It's not my calling, but thanks for the offer!" Replied Mikey with a smile, flattered by the praise. He didn't doubt the man's sincerity like he would have done a few years earlier, and instead took it at face value with pride. Sipping his drink again, still smiling, he dug into his own plate of food. "Your house held up pretty well in the storm."

"Yeah, well it's an oldie. Old houses have strong bones."

"They've got a lot of charm," the turtle remarked as he admired the kitchen door's framework. Pointing at it with his fork. "I love the little attention to detail they did with the wood work there. It's beautiful! Modern houses don't really have that, at least not that I've noticed anyway."

"Yeah, I totally agree with you there. Guess that's why I've always enjoyed the oldies." A spark of mischief lit up Woody's eyes. "Well, that and the ghosts."

"Dude, no way! Is your house haunted?" The look the man gave Michelangelo in response was all the answer he needed. It sent a thrill of excitement in him as he stood up and looked down what he could see of the hallway they had come from to get to the kitchen. "Oh, I knew it! I don't remember if I noticed it during the storm, I was a little spooked by Karai's injury and the possible tornado touchdown, but when I passed through that front door today I totally got that feeling!"

"You're sensitive to spirits?"

"A little bit, yeah. I can't see them, or speak to them…I just get a, well, a Spidey-sense? Yeah, that sounds right." His smile brightened at the way Woody was looking at him. There was no doubt lingering in the man's eyes, no eyeroll or scoff to dismiss his excited claim. He didn't need to insist he was telling the truth because his words were being taken seriously, and he felt like Woody would have believed him even if the man hadn't had any experiences of his own to support it. "Do you get it too? That feeling when they're near you? It's like a pressurized tingling on the back of your head and neck. Well…maybe vibrating is a better way to describe it. Sometimes I feel a little shiver too, but not all the time." He laughed when he felt it again as he spoke, and he couldn't stop himself from reaching out and grabbing Woody's arm. "Dude, somebody's ears were totally ringing. Although, to be fair, I wasn't exactly being quiet."

"They're in the kitchen with us?" Woody asked, grinning himself with excitement as his eyes scanned the room around them. "I don't get that vibe you were talking about. I only know I've got one because I've seen stuff move with no logical explanation for why it was happening besides ghosts. This is cool! A little unsettling, even though I figured I had at least one a long time ago and I've never had any bad experiences, but still…it seems more real hearing someone else say it and experience something too."

"It's funny that not everyone experiences it the same way." Mikey commented as he brought his attention back to his plate. His excitement sparked his appetite, and he began to eat the rest of his casserole a little more eagerly.

"Yeah, I wonder why that is? Why some people are more attune with them than others?" Woody, having already finished his food, brought his dish over to the sink and began to rinse it off. "You can sense them, I see them interact with objects without being able to actually see or sense them, other people can see their apparitions, some people can talk to them, and sometimes you just smell something that lets you know they're there."

"Huh?" Swallowing the mouthful of the casserole he had been chewing, Mikey straightened up with interest and gave his host a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"Well, like the faint odor of cigar smoke in the parlor where, a hundred or so years ago, a previous owner would have relaxed in that room at a specific time and enjoyed a smoke with a drink or two. Or when you suddenly, out of the blue, smell something that makes you think of a loved one who's passed away." The man put his plate and fork into the dishwasher, and then snatched his Guinness off of the counter and took a deep swallow. "I smell my grandmother's lavender lotion sometimes. She never set foot in this house when she was alive though, because I was still in high school when she died."

Awestruck, Michelangelo remembered the night in the motel after he had visited Niagara Falls with his sister. He had been so upset when he was trying to fall asleep, and his anxiety had kept his insomnia going. Stirring up unwelcomed memories in the process. That is, until he smelled peppermint in the air. "She visits you?"

"Once in a while, yeah." Woody was busy rinsing out his beer bottle and putting it in the recycle. He didn't notice the look on the mutant's face or catch the tone of hopeful wonder in his voice. "I never see her, and she doesn't mess around with stuff like my invisible roommate does…but when I'm feeling down, or I'm struggling with something, sometimes I catch of whiff of lavender and I know she's there to support me."

"Oh, wow…" Mikey remembered the sense of peace that had washed over him when he had faintly noticed the smell, and also recalled the accompanying warmth that had enveloped him in that moment. He thought back on night he had reconciled with Karai, when she had found him on that rooftop in the middle of a panic attack. She had told him afterward that she had a feeling that he was near the TCRI building. Was Splinter's spirit watching over him after all? Had he guided Karai to Mikey that night?

The dream flashed in his mind. Of the farm house, and of his father with Tang Shen. Tears glistened in his eyes as he realized that it had been more than just a dream. His father had indeed been reaching out to him. Letting Michelangelo know that he was at peace, but that he was still there for his son. Watching over him, and offering comfort when the grieving mutant needed it most.

"That's so wonderful…"

Woody had been busy putting the tinfoil back on the pan, and placing the remaining casserole into the fridge. When he stood back up, closing the appliance's door with his hip, he glanced over at the mutant and noticed the tears glistening in his eyes. "Oh hey, sorry man! I didn't mean to upset you!"

"Nah, dude," replied Mikey as he rubbed his eyes. His smile was both happy and sad. "It's all good. Believe it or not, I really needed to have this conversation." He pushed the remains of his meal to the center of his plate, and finished it off in two bites. Rinsing the plate and fork off in the sink, and placing them in the dishwasher. As he closed the machine's door, making sure it had clicked shut, he looked over at his host and caught the childish look of glee that had sprung to life on the man's face. "What?"

Woody walked over and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, squeezing it almost affectionately. Then he wandered towards the kitchen door with a jut of his chin to encourage his guest to follow him. "Want to come say 'hi' to my grumpy cat and her babies?"

Smiling back, Michelangelo followed the man through the door. Feeling a little bit of a weight being lifted off of his shoulders.

* * *

 

**Friday July 29th, 2022**

Michelangelo was sprawled belly-down on his bed, enjoying what had once been his favorite after work activity. A pile of comics waiting to be read were set aside for him on the right side of his pillow, leaning against the wall. While the issues he had spent the past hour plowing through were neatly stacked on the floor beside his bed. He was halfway through issue fifty-two of the series, happy to be caught up in the storyline.

" _I've missed this…_ " He thought as he turned the page, curiously scanning through the ad that he found there. He used to love reading old back-issue comics like this. Feeling the weight of an issue in his hands when he'd pick one up, catching the smell of the old paper whenever he'd turn a page, the way he felt like he was going back in time when he'd stumble across one of the dated ads that were inserted throughout the issue. Plus, the artwork and writing for the series were both fantastic, making it so easy for him to become swept up in the story for hours on end. It was such a pleasant experience for him.

It had been such a long time since he had last sat down and done this, that he had almost forgotten what it was like.

His cell buzzed, muffled slightly by the pillow he had rested it on, but he ignored it. Eager to finish reading the issue before seeing who had texted him. A few pages later, and he had reached the conclusion. With a content sigh, he gently tossed the issue onto the pile that accumulated next to the bed, and then snatched up his phone. He frowned at the message, puzzled by its cryptic nature, but did as he was instructed and strolled out of his room and into the pit where he had moved the stereo. Turning it on, he changed it to the station Ryan had told him to listen to.

The song that was playing was one he was very familiar with.

"Oh, no freaking way!" He laughed. Hitting the call button, he brought the phone to his ear and impatiently waited for his friend to pick up.

"Isn't that hella rad?" Ryan asked the moment he answered the phone.

"That's your song!"

"Yup!"

"Playing on the radio, all nice and professionally polished!"

"Awesome, isn't it?"

"Dude, yes!" Mikey exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement for his friend's good luck. "I told you guys that someone would notice how awesome you are and give you an offer! It's about freaking time!"

"I know, I know!" The singer laughed, barely able to contain his own excitement. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but Candy thought we should wait because…well…"

He didn't need to say it. Michelangelo realized that his friend's good news must have come a little too soon after Splinter's death for the gecko to feel comfortable mentioning it until now. "Hey, it's okay that you waited to tell me. I get it. Besides, finding out like this is way more fun!" He went back to his room and began collecting the comics to put away, knowing there was a strong chance their conversation was going to be a long one. "So, spill dude! How did you finally land a record deal?"

"You know how we started doing concerts at those colleges?" Ryan asked, sounding a little relieved to hear how excited Mikey was for him over his exciting news. "Well, some big shot was at one of our shows and liked what they heard. They apparently followed us for a little bit after that, checking out our other concerts with associates of theirs, and then last month they showed up at the loft." He laughed as he thought back on it, remembering the slightly bad timing of it. "Alim and I were in our tank tops and tighty-whiteys painting a mural on the wall when they knocked on the door. Thankfully, that didn't scare them off from making us the offer!"

"Oh, man. In no time, you'll be going on real tours all over the country!" Mikey chirped gleefully, thinking of how much fun the band was going to have now that they were finally hitting it big. No more bar concerts or college gigs up and down the east coast. The world was at their fingertips now. "I'm so freaking happy for you guys!"

"Thanks," the gecko replied, "that means a lot! Hey, you want to come over to the loft and party with us? The whole band's here to celebrate our song finally playing on the radio!"

"Yeah, that'd be nice. I'll be over in a few, okay?"

"Looking forward to seeing ya, dude!"

As he shoved his cell phone into his jeans, still smiling with excitement over his friends finally getting the lucky break they deserved, Mikey realized that he was actually looking forward to hanging out with them. He hadn't felt like this in weeks! He used to love socializing; he was an extrovert after all, being a social butterfly was in his nature. But the desire to hang out with his friends and coworkers, to party, had alluded him until now.

He just didn't have the energy for it.

"This will be fun…" He remarked to himself as he looked for his wallet. Giving Spike, who was crawling into his room, a quick affectionate pat on the head as he conducted his search. "This will be good for me. I need to start getting out more."

Michelangelo found his wallet buried under a dirty work shirt, and shoved it into his other pocket. Then he noticed how messy his room had gotten. Eyeballing the clock, he decided he had enough time to quickly tidy up before leaving and gathered up the dirty laundry that had accumulated all over the floor for the past few weeks. He'd do the laundry in the morning, and do a more thorough job cleaning his room the next day.

Right now, he had a party to get to.

* * *

 

**Monday September 26th, 2022**

The art store was surprisingly crowded as Michelangelo browsed through the paints. Having already selected the colors he was low on, he found himself debating on whether or not he should just stock up on the rest of them while he was there. The prices were lower than normal, and he wondered on the chances of them being that low again the next time he had to do a supply run.

"Draw me like one of your French girls, Jack." A husky voice whispered in his ear, as warm breath tickled his skin.

Startled, Mikey ducked his head and shifted instinctively in response. When he saw who it was that had snuck up on him, though, he relaxed with an embarrassed chuckle. "Oh, hey dude! How've you been?"

Woody smiled warmly at him, and pulled him into a hug. "Not much, really. Same stuff, different day and all that. It's good to see ya!" Pulling back, he picked back up the hand basket he had placed on the floor. "I decided I wanted to repaint my bedroom, and since I was already visiting good old NYC, I figured I'd pop in here to get the stencils I wanted to use to border the room with. You?" He gestured at the items in Michelangelo's cart. "So, are you an artist like your namesake, or are ya picking up stuff for someone else?"

"I like to paint," Mikey explained a little shyly. "It's a nice relaxing hobby for me, great for channeling your energy into when you want to put your mind on autopilot for a while." He had been suffering from nightmares again recently, and had begun a new painting that seemed to be helping to ease his anxiety a lot. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't a serene landscape like he would usually have painted with Splinter. Instead of working on the baby shower painting, or putting on a Bob Ross episode, the young mutant had just slipped into a mental autopilot and let his paintbrush fly. Channeling the anxiety, fear, and nightmarish memories from the crevasses of his mind onto the canvas before him.

The storm that was coming to life in the painting was a hauntingly beautiful one. It made him feel better, knowing that he could turn such ugliness into something so lovely to look at.

"Do you, uh, have any plans this Thursday night?" Woody asked with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Not right now, no. My shift ends at five, but after that I'm totally free." Replied Mikey, his curiosity coming to life as he picked up on tone and body language being expressed by his friend. Wondering what he wanted to ask him to do that had him so worked up. "Why?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come hang out at my place?"

"Yeah, sure! I love hanging out with you and you kitty cat family!" Laughed the turtle, perplexed by the nervous fidgeting from the man. "I'll bring a dish. You in the mood for anything in particular for dinner?"

"Ah, that's why I wanted you to come, actually." Woody admit, rubbing the back of his head as he poked at a couple of the items in his cart needlessly. "I was going to try to make an actual meal on my own, and thought maybe you could…uh…"

"Be your guinea pig?"

"Haha! Yeah, I guess that's one way of describing it." He smiled, a little embarrassed himself, and bopped Mikey in shoulder. "You still game, knowing there's a chance you may suffer food poisoning as a result?"

"Of course, dude!" Michelangelo reassured him, as he shifted his hand cart into his other hand so he could pull out a notepad and pen. "What time do you want me to swing by? And what are you making? I can pick up some wine to go with it, or beer if that suits it better. I'll make dessert too, if you'd like."

"Oh, no. Don't bring dessert, I'll take care of that too. But if you still want to bring wine, that's cool with me! Does seven sound cool with you?"

"Yeah, I can totally make that work!"

"Okay then, I'm making duck with some brussels sprouts and mashed yam."

"Got it!" Mikey chirped as he finished scrawling it all down. "I know the perfect wine to pair with that."

"So, it's a date?"

"It's a date!"

* * *

 

**Thursday September 29th, 2022**

The air was crisp as Michelangelo walked across the yard, his shoes crunching on the scattered carpet of red and yellow leaves that had already made their decent off of the surrounding trees. He strolled towards the house that he had become fairly familiar with over the past few months; wearing a bright smile on his face, and carrying bottle of wine carefully in his hands. Skipping up the front steps, he rang the doorbell as he spun the bottle around so the front of the label was facing outward. Feeling butterflies dancing as the door parted open, and his host answered the door.

"Yo!" Woody greeted as he stepped back and gestured the mutant into the house. "Man, I hope you have a strong stomach! I'm not convinced the dinner I made for us came out all that great."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, I'm sure you did fine!" Mikey assured him with a smile, placing the wine down on the counter once they entered the kitchen. He glanced around the room, perplexed. He didn't see anything laid out, and couldn't smell anything either. "Is the food in the dining room?"

"It's in the oven," Woody replied as he collected the wine and put it into the fridge. "You wanna take a look, and let me know what you think?"

Shrugging, Michelangelo turned and glanced down at the oven door. Noticing a very dim light shining through the tinted glass. Tugging the handle, opening the door with a creak, he knelt down to take a look. Baffled by the sight of a birthday cake in place of the duck he had been expecting.

"HAPPY MUTATION DAY!"

Jolting up, the mutant spun around to find the kitchen filled with familiar faces. Ryan and Candy with the band, Mitsu and Kenshin, Alex and Elaine, Vincent and Jacob, Timothy, Tony, Shini, Karai and Kitsune, Sara, and Napoleon. Even Louie was squeezed in with the rest of the group. "Wha…how?"

"I ran into your sister the other day, before I got to the art store, and when she told me your birthday was coming up I offered to host the party here!"

"You guys! This is so sweet of you!" Mikey exclaimed as hugged Woody, and then Karai when she rounded the island to greet him. "You really didn't have to do this!"

"You only turn twenty-five once," Tony piped up with a grin as everyone took turns giving the mutant a hug or a handshake as entire group migrated towards the living room where the presents and party supplies had been hidden. Ray slipped a disk into the CD player, and grinned goofily when the band's familiar tunes began blasting from the speakers. Earning a fist bump and a laugh from Mikey and the rest of his bandmates as they entered cozy room.

"Besides, you really needed something nice to take your mind off of things." Remarked Karai softly as she grasped Michelangelo's hand and pulled him towards the armchair by the room's fireplace. Gently making him sit down before she handed him the gift she had gotten him. "You're always doing nice things for me. I figured it was time for me to return the favor."

Touched, Mikey took her hand once more and gave it a squeeze. "I love you, sis."

"I love you too, little brother."

He received more gifts than he could have ever anticipated from the group that had gathered there for him. Including a beautiful driving cap from Louie that he wasn't expecting to get. His favorite one, however, came later on in the night. Late into the party, while everyone was either lounging on the couches in the living room chatting, or dancing to the music blasting from the speakers, Woody excitedly grabbed Mikey's hand and guided him to the basement door. Leading him down the stairs, where half a dozen wiggly meowing kittens greeted them.

"Hey there, little dudes!" Michelangelo cheered as he knelt down and welcomed the little babies as they crowded around him, eager for his attention. "You enjoying the rad party going on upstairs? Wish you were in on the fun?" The orange one climbed up his leg, squirming his way onto the turtle's lap with a headbutt of affection.

"I think you're that little guy's favorite person." Woody remarked as he knelt down next to the mutant. Rubbing a finger over the kitten's head, and earning a happy purr in response.

"I like you a lot too, Klunk."

"Klunk?"

"Yeah," laughed Mikey, "I feel like that's his name." He smiled at the other kittens that were scrambling over each other trying to get the two men's attention. "Their names haven't come to me yet."

"Maybe it's a sign." Said Woody thoughtfully, as he gently picked the orange kitten up and placed him into the turtle's arms. "He's bonded with you, so he's yours now."

A thank you was caught on Michelangelo's lips, before he could voice it, when his friend silenced his gratitude with a chaste kiss. Short, sweet, and bursting with the affection the man held for the mutant. Warm, with the lingering taste of cherry chap stick teasing Mikey's senses. When those lips reluctantly withdrew, leaving the cool basement air in their wake, the mutant was dizzy and flooded with stunned joy. "…wow."

"Happy Birthday, Mikester!"

* * *

 

When Michelangelo returned to the Lair a few hours later, carrying Klunk close to his chest protectively in one arm, he made a beeline straight to the dojo. Releasing the little kitten once he entered the room, and watching with amusement as his new pet tripped over his own feet and quickly wandered around the space. Exploring his new home with the same wonder that all children have as they make their discoveries of the world around them.

Filled with love and affection towards his new pet, as well as towards the man who have given Klunk to him, the young mutant eventually tore his eyes away and strolled over to the shrine at the other side of the room.

As he had made a tradition of doing since his sixteenth mutation day, he placed the cake slices he had saved in front of the altar. Selecting his father's incense, lighting it, and bowing before the photographs of his departed family. When he sat back up, staring fondly at the smiling faces in the pictures, there were tears in his eyes. For the first time in a long time, there was more than sadness glistening in them.

"Hey there Dad, bros…ya know, if you told me a few months ago that my first mutation day completely alone, without any of you here with me, would have been a happy one…I wouldn't have believed you. For weeks after you died, Dad, I didn't think I'd ever be truly happy again. And yet…here I am, still buzzing from what a great night I had!" He glanced down at his hands in his lap, fidgeting them guiltily before glancing back up at the frozen faces in the photographs. "Does that make me selfish?" He thought about what his father had gone through, and realized that he wasn't being fair to himself with that kind of thinking. Splinter had lost is family too, and found happiness with a new family not too long after that. "Is this what it felt like for you, Dad? When you got my brothers and I?"

Silence greeted him, but it didn't crush Mikey the way it had in those early weeks when the loss of his father had been so fresh in his heart. Even without the warm presence or scent of peppermint there to reassure him, he knew that his father was watching over him. Letting him work things out on his own this time, as he would have done if Splinter were still alive. He didn't need to be told an answer, he knew his father would have been happy for him that he had such a good time, and that he found someone that made him feel complete and happy.

That's all Splinter had wanted for his children.

Kissing his fingertips, and pressing them against the glass of the picture frames, Michelangelo bowed once more. Then he got up, with a smile on his face, and turned to leave. "Dad, Raph, Donnie, Leo…Happy Mutation Day! I love you all so much!"

His eyes lingered on their faces for a moment longer, and then he walked away. Collecting the hyper kitten up in his arms again, and leaving the dojo. Flicking off the lights, before sliding the door shut behind him.


	17. Sit Down Young Stranger

**Sunday October 30th, 2022**

A chilly rain enveloped the city as the young man quickly got out of his cab, cautiously dashed across the street, and hurried into the building that awaited him. Shaking the moisture off of his jacket, and wiping off his glasses, he took out the paper he had shoved into his pocket before his escape from the vehicle and studied it. Squinting at the scrawled writing, due to the dim lighting in the hallway, he made his way to the back of the apartment building's first floor. His dress shoes leaving little puddles in his wake as he went.

Once he singled out the door to the basement, he cautiously approached and opened it to venture through it. Reminding himself, as he cast a wary eye back at the apartment door adjacent to him, and then down the steps at what he could see of the basement for signs of anyone who may be watching him, that he had been told to tell anyone that came across him down there that he was a friend of Vincent's and there wouldn't be a problem. But it still felt a bit too much like trespassing in his mind's eye as he walked down the creaky wooden steps and began his search.

It wasn't long before he located the supply shelf he was told to keep an eye out for; pulling it away from the wall, as instructed, he discovered the door to the secret tunnel hidden behind it and quietly slipped through it. After that, the rest of the trip to his boyfriend's home was a relatively short one. In no time at all he came across the old turnstile at the top of a stairway that he had been keeping an eye out for, and he walked towards it with increasing speed. Going down the old steps, and staring at the newly constructed wall that greeted him with curious interest. He felt that whoever built it had done a good job trying to match the new bricks with those that had been used for the original archway.

After fussing with his afro, adjusting his glasses, and testing his breath one last time, Woody put on a smile and pulled the rope that hung to the left side of the doorway. Smiling with amusement when he heard an old-fashioned cowbell clanging on the other side of the brick and wood.

Bright sky-blue eyes paired with a brilliant smile greeted him when the mutant living behind that closed door gleefully opened it a few seconds later. "Hey, hon!" Michelangelo snatched his arm, and pulled him forward into a warm embrace before giving him a loving peck on the lips. Then the excited turtle dragged the man into the spacious living space. "Happy, late, One-Month Anniversary! Come on in dude, and make yourself comfy!"

"Wow," Woody murmured as he took a look around the old subway station, "this is so cool! This is, like, every kid's dream hideout! You actually lived here growing up?"

"Heck yeah, this was our own secret little hidey-hole." Mikey replied as he watched his boyfriend explore. "It is pretty rad."

"Very rad."

The insistent beep of the stove timer beckoned for the mutant's attention, so he left Woody to satisfy his curiosity while he ran back into the kitchen to attend to the meal he was cooking. Applying the finishing touches, making sure everything was displayed perfectly, he topped it off by pouring the wine he had selected to go with their dinner into their glasses. Smiling with satisfaction and pride over how wonderful it all looked. " _Kitsune would totally be proud of how well I pulled off this display_ ", he boasted to himself as he ventured out into the main room to retrieve his very special guest. Still smiling as he led the man, blindfolded, into his kitchen.

"Oh my god, it smells like heaven in here!" Woody moaned, lifting his hands up to pull off the sash that the turtle had wrapped around his head. His eyes sparkled with awe at the beautiful display of food before him on the island table. At the center was a platter featuring the maple and hazelnut encrusted pork sirloin tip roast, with bowls of roasted squash and garlic rice flanking each side of it. The food looked absolutely delicious, and was very picturesque on the golden table cloth that was sprinkled with the brightest red and orange leaves Mikey could find.

"I have no doubts that this is going to taste as amazing as it looks!" The man declared as he walked to one end of the table and took his seat. Picking up his glass, he swirled the wine slightly before bringing it up to his nose for a quick sniff. Nodding with approval, he took a small sip. Savoring the flavor with a content smile as his boyfriend began serving him the food. "Honestly, Mikester, what did I do to deserve you?"

"Oh, stop!"

"No, I certainly won't stop," he laughed as he took a bite of the sirloin tip roast. "Oh, it's even more wonderful tasting than I could have possibly imagined." Watching as Michelangelo served some of the meal onto his own plate, Woody waited for him to take a seat before continuing to pile on the praise. "Seriously, why don't you do this professionally?"

"I dunno. I've thought about it but…I just love cooking and baking for my family and friends, that I think doing it for a living might ruin it for me. It wouldn't be any fun working in hoity-toity places like city restaurants or as a private chef."

"You'd be paid so well though, doing something you're amazing at!" Woody argued as he took a forkful of the squash next, downing it with a little bit of the wine. "Come on! You don't want to be a cabbie the rest of your life, do you?"

"No," Mikey agreed as he dove into his rice. Quite pleased with how it came out. "I like being a cab driver; it's kinda fun, and you get to meet a lot of interesting and worldly people doing it…but, yeah, it's not what I foresee spending the rest of my life doing."

"So, if you don't want to take advantage of your awesome cooking skills to make a living off of that, and you're not interested in going into medicine…then what do you want to do for a living someday?"

Michelangelo thought of how much he enjoyed writing. Of how fulfilling the entire process of creating a story and sharing it with the world had been for him over the years as a fanfiction author. He thought of the original piece he had been playing around with in the back of his mind lately, one that he felt his fingertips itching to bring to life with increasing intensity. He wanted to write it, and he wanted to share it with the world.

He had grown a lot as a writer since his teenage years. From his earliest beginnings, secretly writing Space Heroes fanfiction just so he could see Leo's eyes sparkle with delight with every update or new story from his favorite fanfic author. To the completion of his most recent fanfic, which was warmly praised by his followers online. He felt ready to cross that bridge now; leaving the sandbox of others' creations so he could breathe life into worlds of his own. "I want to be a professional writer, actually."

"Like, journalism?"

"No way, that's too boring." The turtle giggled as he took a sip of his wine, standing up and leaning forward over the table to carve more of the roast for himself. "I love writing fanfiction," he continued as he took his seat again, "so why not start writing some original stories to publish?"

"That's not a very realistic career choice."

"It's not like I'm going to just quit my job and hope I make it big as a writer," Michelangelo remarked defensively. Taken aback by his boyfriend's stance on the idea. "I know that approach isn't realistic, trust me. I'm not that naïve! But…I have this idea for a novel brewing in my brain that I've wanted to write for a while now…the story's really near and dear to me, it's actually the most complex story I've ever tried writing, but I think I've got the skills it takes to pull it off now, so I want to go for it! If I publish it, and it's not a bestseller, then that's okay. That's not going to stop me from continuing to write. It's my passion! I'll still have cab driving to make a decent living, while writing will be the job that fulfills me. Even if I'm not on someone's 'must read' list, I'll be happy because I'll be doing something I truly love."

Woody looked doubtful, "I don't think you'll feel the same way when you get that book of yours published and it flops on you." He remarked, taking a bite of the squash. "That's going to hurt your confidence, trust me. Are you popular in the fandom you write for? Isn't it safer to just stick with that to satisfy your itch to write, and get a better paying job in a field that you already do know you're good at instead, where your skills would actually be appreciated?"

The man's words stung more than Mikey wanted to admit, but he put on a smile anyway. Throwing up his old walls from his youth, and acting as if his feelings weren't hurt by what his boyfriend had just said. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I guess I'll just have to wait to find out!" He snatched up his wine glass, taking a deeper sip than necessary to try and drown his negative emotions. He pretended to be super invested in his meal, and took a few more bites even though his appetite had left him. He caught Woody's eye, and felt bad for getting so upset about the discussion. He understood that Woody was just looking out for him, and that he was trying to be supportive in his own way. He meant well. "I'll think about what you said, about pursuing a job in the medical field or as a chef…I promise."

Satisfied with that answer, Woody smiled with approval and continued to eat too.

The young couple migrated into the living room after they finished their meal, and spent the next couple of hours watching a movie that Woody had brought with him for their date. It wasn't long after the end credits had rolled, and they were about to help themselves to dessert, when the old cow bell above the main entrance rang for the second time that evening.

Peering over his shoulder from his position on the couch, the turtle watched the bell still as the last echo of its ring faded in the air. "Who could that be?" He murmured as he set his plate down on the coffee table, giving Woody an apologetic shrug as he did so, and then got up. He crossed the Lair in a few quick strides with Klunk trailing curiously in his wake. "No, Klunky, you can't go outside." He laughed as he scooped the kitten up and cradled him in one arm. Making sure his pet was firmly secure, for he was quite fast while on the loose, before opening up the door to see who it was.

"O-oh…"

Sky-blue eyes locked with his own. Their owner had the bell's rope held lightly in her hand, as if she had been about to ring it again before he had interrupted her. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. "Um…hi."

"…April."

She had changed a lot over the years. The first thing that stood out to him was that her brilliant red hair had gotten longer since the last time he had seen her. It cascaded over her shoulders, down to her mid-back in wild curls that she hadn't worn in those few months that he had known her. Gone were the tight shorts and her favorite yellow jersey from those days; now she was dressed to advertise her professionalism in a black skirt that went down to her knees, and a pretty lilac-colored blouse that he could see peeking out from underneath the collar of her red double-breasted skirted swing coat.

"You look so different!" Mikey blurted out, kicking himself mentally for how awkward the statement had sounded. He hated it when he had moments like this, when he'd impulsively spit out the first thing that crossed his mind without being able to stop and filter his thoughts first.

The young woman's face, which had been tense with nervousness, relaxed. And a giggle, genuine and lovely to hear, passed through her small smile in response to his abrupt remark. "You have too, Mikey." She pointed out in a warm tone that was filled with old affection towards him. "You've gotten a lot taller over the years, you know, and you've lost that cute baby face of yours!"

Driven by impulses of her own, April let go of the rope and reached up to cup his face within her hands. He was suddenly very aware of the old scars that her fingertips were brushing against, and pulled back self-consciously. Remembering the theory he had convinced himself was fact in the months following her abrupt end of communication with him, he worried that seeing the scars on his face were potentially triggering her. " _I shouldn't have stopped applying the makeup after the cuts from the windshield glass healed_ ," he thought in a panic as he tore his eyes away from her confused ones. "Sorry, uh…if I had known I'd be seeing you again then I would have made sure those scars were covered up! I know they're probably not easy for you to look at an-"

"Mikey, it's okay!"

She didn't look frightened or upset when he turned his gaze back onto her face, and he realized that she meant it. "Seeing them…they don't trigger you?"

"What do you mean?"

His theory was losing steam, and he felt the old hurt over her departure from his life stir under the surface. "Sorry, I guess I got myself caught up in a fanciful idea…So, um, what are you doing here?"

April's confused yet reassuring expression shifted back into one of nervousness. It was mingled with guilt and unspoken apologies as she unconsciously tugged and fiddled with a patch of hair that had fallen over her shoulder by her neck. "I saw you in the hallway at the hospital last week when Chu and I brought Donna to visit with Aunty Robyn. I didn't go after you because I wasn't sure if you would even be happy to see me, but it's been killing me all week that I didn't…It felt weird to call after such a long time, especially when I wasn't sure if you even used the same cell number anymore so…I just kinda worked up the nerve to come visit you and…now here I am."

"Is your aunt okay?" He asked, remembering that the woman had taken April in while Kirby had been a prisoner of the Kraang's.

"Oh, yes. She's fine! She was in a car accident last week and broke her legs, but that's not holding her back! Chu and I offered for her to come stay with us while she recovered, since she works from home anyway, but she's stubborn and politely declined." April explained with a fond smile of admiration on her face as she thought of the woman. "She did let us stay with her this past week to help her get settled back at home, although I think she allowed that mainly because she enjoys having Donna around the apartment. She never had kids of her own, and I think sometimes she regrets that…anyway, that's why I'm still here in the city."

"I'm glad she's okay," said Mikey sincerely, "and I'm glad you came over too."

"You're timing could have been better." Woody remarked from behind the mutant, his cheerful tone sounding a little forced as he approached the pair. "So, boyfriend of mine, who's this lovely lady?"

"Boyfriend?" Echoed April with an excited smile blossoming on her face. "I didn't know you were into guys, Mikey! I mean, I suspected Raph was, but you just never seemed interested in that kind of thing at all so it was harder for me to peg you."

"I'm ace, actually, but I am panromantic." He was relieved that she didn't look confused by the terminology, and seemed to understand. It was exhausting trying to explain to people what asexuality meant, and to have to explain that sexual and romantic attractions didn't always go hand and hand with one another. "This is my wonderful, amazing, boyfriend: Woody!" He declared, stepping back and bowing to gesture his arms towards the man in an elaborate and playful introduction of his boyfriend. "Woody, this is my old friend, April!"

"Nice to meet you," Woody remarked with a polite smile as he stepped forward to shake the woman's hand. "Funny, Mikey's never mentioned you before." He commented with a hint of both annoyance and jealousy in voice, as he shot an unreadable glance at the mutant in question. His eyes flickered back to her, and he studied her. "So…were you two a thing back in the day?"

"What?" Michelangelo squeaked in shock. He felt his cheeks get hot with embarrassment, and he wondered why Woody was acting so weird about April's visit. "No way! She's like a sister to me! Donnie was the one who had a thing for her!"

"You've got nothing to worry about from me," April declared with a laugh. Holding up her hand to show off her wedding ring. "I'm already taken! Besides," she continued as pointed at their mutual acquaintance, "this little ball of sunshine is practically my little brother."

"Well, good." Replied Woody, looking mildly apologetic for his territorial attitude. "Congratulations, by the way." He glanced back and forth between the pair, and couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was more going on than they were willing to say with him present. "Should I go, and leave you two to talk?"

"If you're okay with that…" Mikey said quietly, stealing a glance at the red-headed woman again. He was afraid if he asked her to leave, that April would disappear from his life again and never look back. When he caught the disappointed look on his boyfriend's face, a wave of guilt washed over him. "I'm sorry, babe. I'll make it up to you, I promise!" Taking Woody's hand in his own, he gave it a squeeze as he put on his best puppy dog eyes. "I'll cook you dinner for the entire month next month!"

Unable to resist Michelangelo's charm, especially when he already had a weakness for the mutant's cooking, the man relented and gave him a small smile back. "Okay, that sounds cool to me!"

"Thank you! I really appreciate it!"

"Anything for you, Mikester."

The man finished his glass of wine and gathered up his coat. Exiting the Lair with a wave goodbye to the turtle, and a 'nice to meet you' directed at the woman as he walked on by. As the door clicked shut, and his footsteps echoed off into the distance of the tunnel, the pair stared at each other awkwardly. Neither one was certain of who should break the ice first.

"So…." April glanced at the doorway and brick wall that was definitely not part of the Lair's entrance the last time she had been there. "When was that built?" She asked as she gestured at it with her thumb.

"Last month, actually."

"Why?"

"Mewww!"

Klunk had wiggled his way out of Michelangelo's arms while his owner was distracted by the arrival of their latest guest, and had up until that point been occupied with cautiously sniffing at her shoes and pocketbook. Now, after deeming her worthy of his scent, the kitten was happily rubbing up against April's black leggings. Eager for attention from the woman, and shamelessly demanding it from her.

"Oh, and who might you be?" April cooed as she bent down to gently pat the kitten's soft fur.

"His name's Klunk."

"Nice to meet you, Klunk!"

Michelangelo smiled and crouched down to pat the kitten too, feeling the awkwardness in the air begin to fade away. "Woody gave him to me after his cat had her litter." He gestured at the altered entryway for the Lair. "I was worried about the little guy wandering off into the tunnels and getting lost, or hurt, or worse. So, I kept him in the dojo for a few weeks, and built the wall to ensure he wouldn't wander out of the Lair."

"You did a beautiful job of it," commended April as she admired her old friend's handiwork. "Do you work in construction?"

"Cab driver, actually." The turtle informed her with a smile, coaxing her into allowing him to take her coat from her. He wanted her to feel welcome in his home, like she used to be. It was weird seeing her look so out of her element. "It's still raining, huh?" He asked when he noticed how damp the fabric was. He shook the coat, and then carried it over to the hanger he had placed by the door. Draping it over one of the pegs. "Hopefully the weather will be nicer when you leave later."

He cast an awkward glance in her direction, and then remembered what they had been talking about. "Oh yeah, the wall. Well, I've got a friend who works in construction. His name's Slash. He's a mutant turtle like me, actually. He's really strong, and he's huge. I think he's almost as big as Leatherhead was! He likes to act like he's a tough guy, but he's really a total softie."

"Sounds like Raph." April noted with an amused grin on her face.

"Oh, Raph totally would have been best friends with him if they met today!" Laughed the mutant in agreement, happy that the tension in the air between them was starting to fade more. "Anyway, back to the wall, Slash got me a deal on the bricks and gave me some pointers. And I just kinda went with it and crossed my fingers that it would work out okay. And it did!"

"It looks great," remarked the woman as she scooped up the kitten and gave him a playful poke on the nose, "no grand escapes for you!"

Rubbing the back of his head nervously, now that their topic of discussion had come to an end, Mikey looked away from his old friend and glanced over at the pit. Noticing that Woody had left his empty glass on the coffee table, the mutant went over to retrieve it to bring it into the kitchen. "Would you care for a glass?" He asked, wiggling the stemware in his hand.

"No thank you," April declined politely as Klunk jumped out of her arms and wandered off. She placed a hand on her belly with a hint of excitement in her eyes. "We're expecting, so alcohol's not an option for the next few months."

"Oh, congratulations! When are you due?"

"Well, we just found out and I haven't gone to my doctor about it yet. But I'm guessing sometime in late July or early August."

"I'm really happy for you! Karai and Kitsune just had their first baby last week, and boy is he a cutie. That's why I was hospital when you spotted me!" Michelangelo beamed as he led her into the kitchen, rinsing Woody's glass off in the sink before putting it aside on the counter. Intending on cleaning it with the other rinsed off dishes later on in the evening. "How many kids do you have now? What's Chu like?"

"This will be our second, but we may have another one after this. Chu came from a big family, so he really wanted to have at least three kids. I never had any siblings, but wish I did, so I love the idea of three or four kids altogether too." April informed him as she took a seat at the island table. Watching the turtle dash out of the kitchen to retrieve the shortcake he had left on the coffee table in the pit, before Klunk could get into it, and carrying the platter and plates back into the kitchen. "That looks absolutely delicious!"

"Would you like some?" He asked as he placed his own plate on the table, putting the platter with the rest of the cake at the center of the island. Woody had finished off his slice while Mikey had been talking with April earlier, so his empty plate went straight onto the counter beside the sink. "It's strawberry and blueberry shortcake!"

"That's interesting, adding another berry to the recipe like that." April remarked with hungry eyes, reaching forward to pick up the butter knife and slice herself a piece as her host handed her a plate and fork. "You always were creative with food." She took a bite, smiling with pleasure. "I have to admit, some of your creations in the kitchen sounded a little too wild for me back then, but my reluctance seems silly to me now because I always did enjoy whatever it was you'd made whenever you offered some to me."

"Well, to be fair to you and my brothers, I did get a little weird with some of those combos." Michelangelo admit with a sheepish grin. He sat down and took a bite of the dessert, thinking back on his early cooking experiments. "Like you said, some of the things I came up with were pretty wild! But I was so excited that we were finally getting groceries from stores, thanks to you and Mr. Murakami, that I think I just wanted to try everything. Ya know?"

"I guess I hadn't thought of that," April admit. "You were really limited with what you could eat, huh?" She forgot just how isolating the brothers' lives had been before they met her. She knew they had Splinter's gardens, and friends who could help them if they needed it, but they didn't have the freedom or access to the full resources that she had been privileged to have her entire life. Michelangelo's excitement in those days, to try out and experiment with all the different types of food he could get his hands on with April's help, made sense. Especially after years on such a restricted diet. "I guess something good came from you four meeting me that night after all…"

"What do you mean?" Michelangelo asked, taken aback by the remark and the self-loathing laced in her voice. Her eyes flickered to his; startled at first when she realized she had let the thought slip out, but then quickly brimming with tears as she guiltily looked away from him. "Oh, April, hey…what's wrong? Why would you think us meeting you was a bad thing?"

"Well, look what happened!" She murmured with a slight tremble, trying not to cry. She avoided his concerned inquisitive gaze to stare at her hands clenched in her lap instead. "You and your brothers never would have gotten caught up in the Kraang mess if it weren't for me! They wouldn't have died, and you wouldn't have been…" She looked up at him again, her eyes automatically zeroing on the small scars on his cheeks and temples from the brain scan device the Kraang had tried using on him for information. It had been their earliest tactic, and when it didn't produce results they quickly switched to more aggressive means to try and get what they wanted from him. Those scars where hidden behind the fabric of his long-sleeved shirt and pants, but even after all these years she still remembered where each and every one of them were on his body. "Mikey, how can you stand to be in the same room with me? The Kraang tortured you because they were trying to find me!"

"And I'd go through it all again in a heartbeat!" He told her calmly, as he began to wonder if his old theory held water after all. "All of us would have, you're family!"

"But you shouldn't have had to go through that to begin with!" She argued tearfully, anger shining in her eyes at what had happened to the mutants she had grown to love as family in her younger years. "If I just let them take me that night, when they were mind controlling my dad, then maybe…"

"No way! Who knows what those nasty blobs were planning to do to you!" Mikey argued back, trying to reason with her. To steer her away from feeling guilty over something she had had no control over. "I know Bishop said the EPF were keeping tabs on things, but they didn't intervene when the Kraang tried to get you that night. They were too distracted by what the Kraang were trying to pull off at TCRI. They might have been too late to do anything for you, and that's assuming they even noticed you had been grabbed." He got out of his chair and walked around the edge of the island table, taking the seat closest to her and leaning forward to gently grasp her hand in his. "We would never have forgiven ourselves if something bad happened to you. Especially Donnie. After what happened to Timothy…if he lost you on top of that, if he couldn't save you from whatever the Kraang were going to do to you after they caught you…that would have devastated him."

"At least he wouldn't be dead."

"A part of him would be though," whispered Mikey. "He'd think back on it, and obsess over all the little details from that night. He'd single out every little moment that could have altered the outcome, and he'd wonder why he didn't think of it then. Why he didn't speak up sooner? Why he didn't just act in the moment, instead of arguing with the guys?"

"We're…not just talking about Donnie, are we?"

The haunted mutant sighed shakily, nodding his head in silent confirmation of her observation. Acknowledging his hypocrisy in trying to talk her out of feeling guilty, when it was obvious he carried some of his own that was still weighing down on him. "Donnie totally would have done that too, though. He would have been worse…Donnie was really analytical like that, ya know." He chuckled warmly at one of the last memories he had of his brainy brother. "The dude drew up this huge chart of all the different scenarios he could think of that would put him in the best position to ask you to hang out with him."

"Seriously?" April laughed, a fond smile coming to her face as she thought back on the turtle she had been the closest to in those days. "Yeah, I could see him doing that. He was so nervous around me, I don't know why."

"Don't lie, you totally know why!"

"Well, yeah, okay, there was that!" She admit, waving her hand dismissively. "But he was my hero, and I really enjoyed hanging out with him when I wasn't in a lesson with your father. Did Donnie ever realize that he was my best friend?"

"I don't know," Michelangelo murmured, "sometimes he was kinda oblivious about stuff. Heh, that's something else we had in common, I guess. Although it would have riled him up if that was pointed out to him."

"Why?"

"Because he was the super brainiac, and I was the dumb one in the family."

"Oh, Mikey, that's not true!"

"Oh, I know!" He declared, bringing his hands up in defense to stop the woman's oncoming rant of loving support of him. "At least, now I know that. My brain's wired differently, and I didn't learn at the same pace as the rest of them and sometimes struggled with stuff that none of others had problems with. Which…coupled with a few other things, made me feel stupid for a large chunk of my life." Mikey knew in his heart that his family didn't mean to make him feel that way.

"A while back I saw the word ADHD thrown around a lot on a message board for one of my favorite shows, and it was used in reference to my favorite character who I relate a lot to. Like, a lot! So, I looked it up, did a lot of reading, and now I'm pretty convinced I'm ADHD." He laughed lightly as he remembered how eye-opening that research had been to him. Just as Splinter's words of comfort had been after their discussion in his bedroom. "Dad and I had a talk a few years ago about it too, after I had gotten shot."

"What?!" April squeaked in terror, amazed by how blasé he was about it. Like being shot was an everyday thing, and not something to worry over. "When did that happen?"

"A little over two years ago, I think." Michelangelo replied after a moment, chuckling at her horrified expression when he noticed it. "It was no big deal!"

"You were shot!"

"Yeah, well, I'm totally fine." He insisted with a smile, a little amused by her fussing over him. "There was no permanent damage done, although I do have a scar from the bullet wound." He thought about pulling down his pants to show it to her, but then remembered his other scars. The older ones and the painful memories that went along with them. With her guilt still blazing strong within her over what had happened back then, he realized that exposing her to them wasn't going to help his efforts to try and steer her towards forgiving herself and moving past it.

"Anyway, uh, where was I going with this? Oh, yeah! Dad kinda forced me to open up about how I thought I was a useless idiot, and when he pointed out all the stuff I've done to prove that wrong and told me he sincerely never thought I was dumb; well, that really helped me start to accept that I wasn't an idiot, and I was able to slowly train myself to stop having such a toxic opinion of myself. Finding out about ADHD a while after that was nice, because it gave me a term to identify with as well as an explanation for why I am the way I am. Honestly, it was a huge relief!"

"I want you to know that I never thought you were stupid, Mikey." April told him with complete sincerity. She squeezed his hand, which was still lightly grasping hers, and frowned as she thought back on those days. "I did notice the way your brothers put you down though, and I didn't like it. I just didn't really know if it was my place to say anything about it, or at least…that's the excuse I told myself whenever I tried to pretend I didn't witness it when I was hanging around. I'm sorry I didn't speak up for you back then."

"Oh, don't start blaming yourself for that too!" Michelangelo groaned dramatically. "The blame for my insecurities over the way my brain works falls a little bit on my brothers for their moments of jerkitudes, even though I'll give them a pass for not knowing any better, and on myself for never really speaking up about it."

"Well, I disagree with you on that." Argued April, as she used her free hand to reach for her fork so she could finish eating her cake. "They weren't just playfully teasing you, they zeroed in on the same 'joke' and constantly made it a thing. They may not have realized how much it really hurt you, but they knew they were being jerks whenever they did it. Raph certainly did, because he bullied Donnie and Leo a lot too and I witnessed more than one moment where it was obvious they were upset by it and the guilt poked at him until he finally apologized. Leo enjoyed bossing everyone around as the leader, and got his little jabs in at your other brothers when he could if they got on his nerves. While Donnie, as much as I loved him, liked to flaunt his IQ to belittle the rest of you whenever he was annoyed or stressed out. Just because the others didn't hide how they felt about the bullying they did to each other, doesn't make their bullying towards you okay because you tried to act like it didn't bug you!"

"Yeah, but I really laid it on thick that nothing bothered me."

"It doesn't matter. They were capable of recognizing when they crossed lines with each other, they should have realized when they were taking it too far with you too. Even when that happy-go-lucky mask of yours was firmly on!"

He wanted to argue with her. To defend his brothers from her harsh opinion of their sibling dynamic. To accuse her of not knowing any better because she was an only child, so she couldn't possibly understand what it was like to have siblings. But, deep down, he knew that everything she said was true. Because he had come to those realizations himself over the years, and had let himself feel angry about it as they dawned on him. He had gone through the motions of fully feeling the hurt that he had bottled up his entire life, and worked through that anger and resentment he felt towards his brothers for putting him through that. He had sat down a couple of years ago, after reading some advice online, and wrote letters to each of his brothers. Unloading how their behavior and words towards him had hurt him during his childhood and into his teenage years. How their attitudes towards him had birthed his toxic low self-esteem and contributed to his anxiety. And then, after he got it all out of his system, he burned the letters. Imagining the anger and hurt dissipating as the flames ate up the paper and the emotional words that had been scrawled on them.

He refused to let them poison his mind any longer.

"It doesn't matter," Michelangelo repeated as he cleared both of their plates off the table and placed them in the sink. Running the water to let them rinse as he picked up the platter with the rest of the cake on it and deposited it into the fridge. "The guys are gone, and it's not fair to their memory to get worked up and angry about it now. It's in the past. All that matters to me is that I have a better understanding of myself now, and I'm kinder to myself because of it."

"It isn't fair, though." Murmured April, her role in the injustice was too fresh in her mind to hand-wave it away as easily as the mutant standing before her.

"No, it isn't." The turtle agreed, turning off the sink's hot water and taking the plates out to put aside on the counter. "But that's life. It's not healthy to linger on it, especially when there's nothing that can be done about it now. It's better to just accept it and move on."

"And what about what I did to you?"

"We've been through this, April." He argued softly as he sat back down at the table, taking his original seat on the other side so that he was across from her once more. "The guys dying and the torture I went through isn't your fault. You had no control over the Kraang situation whatsoever."

"But I did have control over what happened after that…" She said sharply, her eyes daring him to challenge her. "Please, don't sit there and act like the way I abandoned you was okay."

"I understand that it was what was best for you at the time-"

"What was best for me?" Shrieked April, "Mikey, come on! How?...Whether or not you want to blame me for what happened back then, the fact of the matter is that your brothers died and you were tortured because the Kraang wanted you to give me up to them. And how did I repay you? How did I help you through your tremendous loss? Your trauma over what was done to you? Your recovery, when you needed all the love and support you could get?" She stopped herself there, leaving the question up in the air. Silently beseeching him to answer her.

"It's okay," he insisted calmly.

"Stop. Just stop!" The young woman's voice cracked, and she took a shuddered breath. Staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. "I freaking abandoned you, Mikey! When Dad moved us out of the city, I…"

Michelangelo was silent as it began to dawn on him that this was why she had come to visit him. She wanted to face the consequences of her past actions, and had been expecting him to tear into her for the way she had left things nearly ten years earlier. He had failed to meet her expectations, and now she was struggling to accept his forgiveness and unwavering understanding towards her.

He resisted the urge to get up and hug her. It wasn't time for that yet. She needed to process what she was feeling, to let it all out and come to terms with it. Otherwise, she'd never be able to move past it.

"I feel like such a whiney drama queen…" She confessed quietly as a tear slipped down her cheek. She watched as Mikey got up and went over to the stove. As he tested the weight of the kettle, seemingly satisfied with the water level, before turning the burner on to heat them up some water. "Donnie and the others died. You were tortured. Dad was traumatized by his time in captivity and watching himself hand me over to the bad guys….and I walked away from that entire situation unscathed." She absentmindedly began twisting her wedding ring around her finger as she watched him take a container of lavender buds down from the counter by the fridge. "Nothing bad happened to me."

"That's not true." Michelangelo replied over his shoulder as he filled two tea balls with the buds and placed them into the mugs he had taken out for the pair of them to use. "Like you just said, your dad was kidnapped, and you were terrorized for months after he was taken. You lost your friends, your dad suffered mentally, and a friend got hurt by the monsters who wanted to hurt you." The kettle began to whistle, and he quickly switched off the heat. Pouring water slowly into their cups, and then carrying them over to the table. Placing one in front of his old friend. "Your trauma may not have been the physical kind, but it is just as valid as mine and your dad's."

"I've had nightmares about that night, but not about my close call with the Kraang. I've dreamt about your brothers being trapped in that room with the explosion! About the Kraang carving into your shell and peeling open your flesh!"

"Did those dreams start to go away after you guys moved?" The mutant asked as he took his seat again. There was no bitterness in his tone as he made his inquiry. He radiated nothing but an empathetic understanding towards her over her struggles. "Did they go away after you cut ties with me?"

"Yes," April sobbed guiltily, "they did!"

"I'm glad they did."

"Mikey…"

"Look…" Michelangelo hesitated, trying to gather his thoughts to express what he wanted her to understand. Tugging at the chain for the tea ball, he stirred it slowly. Watching the little bits of lavender break free and float loosely within the hot water in his cup. "I still have the nightmares. Sometimes it's just around the anniversary of the TCRI mission and my time with the Kraang. Sometimes my anxiety gets really bad, and I wind up thinking about everything that went down that night and I'll fall asleep dreaming about it. And if it were just the occasional nightmare, I don't think it would be so bad…but it's not. I get triggered too, sometimes by things that I never would have expected to be triggered from. And when that happens, it's absolutely terrifying."

He looked up from the steaming cup, and locked his brilliant blue eyes with hers. "April, I wouldn't wish that kind of experience on my greatest enemy…so I really don't want someone I love to even feel an iota of it either."

"Oh, Mikey…"

"It's okay."

"I really wish you'd stop saying that."

"You were, completely understandably, traumatized by everything that had happened to you since the night you first met us. When your dad was taken, and the whole crazy mess started. You shouldn't feel guilty for feeling that way. You shouldn't feel guilty for doing what was best for your mental health. If cutting ties from me helped you heal, then that makes me happy."

"It wasn't supposed to be for such a long time, though." April told him as she took a sip of the calming tea. "But it took such a long time for the nightmares to go away, and for me to feel safe again. By the time everything fell back into place for me again, and I wasn't afraid anymore…it had been so long, that I didn't know if you'd even want to speak to me again. I felt like such a jerk, I felt so guilty…"

"I don't resent or hate you for how you handled things." Said Michelangelo sincerely, smiling at her reassuringly. "I was sad about it at first, I won't lie about that…then I realized, because of my own experiences, that you needed to get away from everything so you could heal mentally and emotionally. And all I wanted after that was for you to achieve that, and to move on with your life and be happy." He took a sip of his tea, and glanced down at her belly. "Aside from still feeling guilty about how you left things with me, are you happy? Do you enjoy your life, and the family you've been building with Chu?"

Placing a hand on her belly, April smiled back at him. There was still a hint of guilt hidden in it, but her happiness and excitement was slowly overriding it. "Yes, as guilty as I feel to admit it-"

"Stop that!"

"-I am happy. I have a fulfilling job that I absolutely love, and that I thrive in. I have a wonderful husband, and a beautiful daughter, and I'm excited for the new life that's growing inside me." She took another sip of the tea, and then put the mug down on the table. Cupping it with both of her hands, and savoring the warmth that radiated into her palms. "Knowing that you don't hate or resent me for how I handled things back then, that you don't blame me for your brothers or for what you suffered…I think that's going to help me a lot too…I've been carrying that guilt with me for such a long time."

"You shouldn't have had to," Mikey reminded her gently.

She nodded, and watched as he took another sip from his own mug. "You shouldn't have had to either, you know."

"Yeah…I'm beginning to realize that now."

They smiled at one another, making a silent pact to let go of the unnecessary guilt they had both been carrying with them over the years. And then, for the next few hours, as they took their time drinking their tea, they exchanged a decade's worth of stories about all the changes that had occurred in their lives since they had last met. They laughed together at Mikey's most memorable tales from his years as a cab driver, and discussed the importance of dreams as April told him about her journey into becoming a journalist for a pro-mutant newspaper. She regaled him with stories of Donna's first five years of toddler-hood, beaming with motherly pride, and then bragged about how her daughter had been handling pre-school so far. While Mikey expressed his joy over finally connecting with someone, and revealed his hopes for a family of his own someday.

Eventually, the mugs were drained of their calming contents, and were placed on the counter by the sink. Then the pair left the kitchen and made their way across the Lair. Slipping quietly inside the dojo, and making their way to the sacred corner of the peaceful room. April's eyes began watering again as they approached the alter, prompting Michelangelo to hold back so she could have a moment to herself. Watching on as she stared at the photographs with a sad smile on her face.

"I still can't believe he's gone…that all of them are gone," she whispered. Glancing over her shoulder at her friend, she reached out an arm towards him. Grasping his hand when he accepted hers. "I'm so sorry, Mikey."

This time it was an apology he would accept, and Michelangelo didn't resist when the woman turned around completely to give him a hug.

After a moment, blinking back tears, April pulled away and unzipped her pocketbook. "Hang on, I almost forgot…" She reached inside and slowly pulled out the tessen that Splinter had given her years earlier. Turning back around to face the altar, she placed the beautiful weapon down in front of the picture of Hamato Yoshi and his human family. Feeling a sense of peace come to her as she did so.

"I should have given it back sooner," she remarked, "I almost sent it with the flowers…but it didn't feel right. So, I wound up carrying it around with me in my pocketbook since then."

"I think that was Dad's way of encouraging you to come here, and to come to terms with your grief and guilt." Michelangelo suggested thoughtfully as he smiled down at the fan and the photograph. Suddenly finding himself remembering the special vase of yellow daffodils and pink lilies that had stood for many weeks in front of the altar at its base. "That was a beautiful bouquet you sent by the way. It was my favorite one to be honest, and I think it would have been Dad's favorite too."

April gave him an appreciative smile, and was about to say something when her phone buzzed beside her wallet and makeup bag. She pulled it out, reading the text and wincing when she noticed how late it had gotten. "Oops, I'm worrying the hubby!" She giggled as she quickly sent him a text back. "It's almost Donna's bedtime, and it's tradition that I read her a chapter of our current book before she goes to sleep for the night."

"Aw!"

As they made their way to the entrance a sheepish look crossed April's face, and she slowed her pace. "Hey Mikey?"

"Yeah?"

"Could…could I get your phone number? I, uh, don't have it for obvious reasons." She waved her up-to-date cellphone in her hand to emphasize why.

"Oh, heck yeah!" The turtle replied cheerfully as he reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled the ancient device out. Presenting it with a wide and excited smile, before he quickly opened up his contacts list to add in her name and number.

"You still have the phone Donnie made for you?"

"Of course, it's still kickin like the awesome piece of tech it is! Besides, Donnie made it. Nothing in the verse could persuade me to give this baby up!"

The smiles they exchanged as they gave each other their numbers were both happy and sad. And then, after arranging plans for a dinner date at her aunt's apartment the following night, April reluctantly crossed the threshold. Back out into the old familiar tunnel.

"Don't bring any food!" She insisted with a playfully stern expression on her face.

"I promise!"

As he closed the door in her wake, he felt full of relief over how well their encounter had gone. Knowing now that she had been just as anxious over it as he had been. He hadn't been expecting her guilt though. Trauma over what she had been through? Naturally! He had plenty of his own experience in that department to see the signs of it from several miles away. The guilt blindsided him, he supposed, because of how deeply he had buried his own.

Funny how it had to take a long discussion with someone else who had been carrying guilt over something they had no real fault in, trying to convince them that they shouldn't be blaming themselves, for him to accept that the same applied to him as well. "You're giving me that I-told-you-so look right now, huh Dad?"

He could almost hear Splinter chuckle as he switched off the main lights, scooped up his kitten, and made his way to his bedroom. Confident that his dreams that night would be peaceful and happy ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Whew* That was quite a long one. I knew it was going to be long, but I wasn't expecting it to turn out THAT long! 
> 
> This chapter has been a long time coming, I couldn't wait to write it! I've been eagerly looking forward to writing this overdue reunion since I wrote Chapter 4!
> 
> I hope everyone's enjoying the fic! Please leave a review if you've got the time, I'd love to know what you lovely readers think of the story so far! :)


	18. Just Give Me A Reason

**Friday November 11th, 2022**

On the mahogany desk, positioned in the back of the quaint little office, sat a miniature vintage-styled clock. It faintly ticked away the seconds passing by, before finally chiming the hour. Drawing the therapy session currently being conducted to a close.

Michelangelo knew the drill. With a sigh and a smile, he reluctantly got out of the comfy chair, stretched, and gave the woman he had spent the last hour talking to a gentle handshake as she rose from her own seat. "Thank you for your time, Dr. Yeo."

"You're quite welcome, Mikey." Shinigami chuckled warmly as she smoothed out the ruffles in her long skirt. Closing her notebook with a soft thump, she tucked the pen into the space between the cover and the first page. "Now that we're off the clock, and I have a couple of minutes to spare, would you mind if I asked you a question?"

"Fire away, Shini!"

"May I hire you to be the chef for my daughter, Gwendoline's wedding banquet?"

Well, that was about a million miles away from the type of question he had been expecting her to ask him. "Woah, what now?"

"She's having a Yule-themed wedding, which we're hosting at her grandmother's house in Northampton." Shini explained as she waited for him to snatch his coat off the back of the chair he had been sitting in, and then walked with him to the door. "We had hired a caterer already, but they cancelled their services a couple of days ago and it's near impossible to find another decent one now thanks to the holidays coming up. I thought, since I've heard that you're pretty talented in the kitchen…"

"I dunno," Mikey murmured, "I mean…I love cooking for folks, and I'm pretty decent at making a dinner table look semi-fancy, but this is kinda large-scale for me."

"You'd be doing us a huge favor if you took this on!" She pressed on with an encouraging smile, opening up her notebook and scribbling something down. "I've hired Kitsune to handle the presentation portion of the catering gig, so you wouldn't have to worry about that." With a swift, clean rip, she presented the torn paper to him. "This is what I'd be willing to pay you."

It was a fair amount, and knowing Kitsune was helping out too made the concept a little less intimidating to him. For all he knew, she may have been the one to suggest utilizing his talents to Shinigami. "Is it okay if I think this over tonight, and give you a call about it tomorrow?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Okay, cool." He wanted to talk with someone who could tell him just what he was getting into first, before deciding to accept the offer. "I'll see ya next week, doc. Same Bat time, same Bat channel!"

That earned him the laugh he was aiming for, and with a wave good-bye he walked out the door after she opened it for him and walked down the wide hallway. Admiring the paintings on the walls, as he couldn't help doing, and peeking through the open doorways of the offices he passed by out of curiosity. Wondering if the other therapists at the practice were as good as Shinigami was, or if he was just being biased because she was a family friend too.

As he approached the waiting room, and got in line behind another patient, he pulled out his phone. He was going to open up the calendar app, to enter the date and time of his follow up once he booked it, when he noticed he had a couple of texts waiting to be read. "Oh…oops."

Mikey had forgotten about the coffee meet up he had planned with Woody that morning, which they were supposed to have before his appointment. He couldn't help cringing, this wasn't the first time he had accidently stood up his boyfriend. " _I was in such a rush, I totally forgot about that!_ " He sent a quick apology back, and a request for when it would be a good time for him to stop by the hospital Woody worked at to pay him a visit. " _I'd better get him a little gift or something to make up for it._ "

"I'm sorry sir, may I help you?" The receptionist, a petite brunette with hazel eyes, asked in a slightly forced chipper tone. Interrupting his thoughts, and drawing him back to the here and now. "You're checking out, right?"

Nodding with an apologetic smile, Michelangelo informed her that the follow up was due in one week, and told her which dates he was available for. After agreeing on the date and time that worked best for him, she scheduled it and handed him the appointment card. He tucked it into his wallet behind his credit card and then began to enter the appointment reminder into his phone. Thanks to his distraction, he bumped into the man ahead of him as walked blindly over to the elevator. "Oh, sorry dude, I wasn't payin'-Agent Bishop?"

The man in question gruffly muttered an 'it's no problem', and spun on his heel to resume his trek before Mikey had a chance to say anything else. Either not realizing who it was that had nearly trampled into him, or in too much of a rush to care.

A few years ago, this standoffish attitude would have rubbed Michelangelo the wrong way, and likely would have been added onto his list of reasons to dislike the agent. But his opinion of the man had swayed considerably over the years. The resentments he once held against Bishop had eventually been replaced with an odd sort of fondness towards him instead. " _I wonder why he needs therapy?_ "

Shrugging it off, " _I gotta stop being so nosey, that's totally none of my business…_ ", the young mutant followed in the man's wake to get on the elevator too. Wondering, as the doors automatically closed and the agent pressed the button for the ground floor, if he should even bother with small talk. Much to his surprise, his companion beat him to the punch.

"I'm glad to see you've been attending therapy." Said Agent Bishop without looking at him, he stood tall and kept his gaze locked on the closed doors before them. "I hope it has been helping you."

"It has, actually." Mikey replied with a quick glance at the man, fiddling with the change in his coat pocket as the elevator dinged with each floor they descended past. The soft music in the background was nice, which made him wonder why elevator music got such a bad rap. "Jay, er, Dr. Chandler, has been trying to get me to see a therapist for years now, but I didn't think I needed it."

He had never been in denial about having PTSD; in fact, he had immediately accepted the suggestion he was suffering from it after the panic attack he had in his cab on the first anniversary of the TCRI mission. He had done research over the years on how to cope; he took the suggested supplements, kept up with his ninjutsu training sessions, used his enjoyment of painting as a therapeutic exercise when necessary, and had even committed himself to learning a form a meditation that worked best for him. "I really felt I was coping with it all pretty well without needing to see a shrink for it."

"Until the day came when it wasn't enough anymore."

"Yeah…"

Splinter's death had relentlessly shattered Michelangelo's world. When Karai had admit to him during their road trip over the summer that she was seeing a therapist to help her cope with their mutual loss, he had dismissed her subtle hints for him to do the same. That is, until the tornado incident. After his epiphany in the wake of that near-tragedy, he followed his sister's lead and booked an appointment for himself.

And he had to admit, as they branched off-topic from his grief over losing Splinter to also discuss his PTSD, insecurities, anxiety, and bouts of depression, that it felt good to talk to professional about what was going on in his head. To speak freely of his heartaches and worries in a way that he couldn't do with his loved ones, although he did his best to open up to them too. There were just some things that he couldn't talk to them about, no matter how supportive they were or how badly he wished he could.

"I kinda feel foolish for putting it off for so long…"

"It's a daunting thought…opening up to a complete stranger about your personal demons." Acknowledged Bishop sympathetically.

As the numbered lights above the door began to draw their countdown to the ground floor to a close, the man reached into his coat and withdrew his trademark sunglasses from out of the inner pocket. Looking less vulnerable when he put them on, and more like the stone-cold government agent the world knew. "Don't berate yourself for trying to deal with it on your own for as long as you did."

"How long did it take you?"

A little smile formed on Agent Bishop's face, as if he were amused by the question. "You could say it took a few years."

The elevator dinged one last time, and the floor bobbed slightly beneath their feet as they finally came to a stop. When the doors parted open, the pair walked out together. The agent didn't try to shake off Mikey's ensnared attention, and instead maintained the same pace as the mutant as they crossed the busy high-ceilinged lobby towards the exit.

"The war distracted me for a spell. And when that proved to be unhelpful in releasing me from my burdens, I turned to copious amounts of alcohol to try and deal with it instead. You and I both know how truly unhelpful that solution was."

A chilly wind blasted the two of them as they walked out onto the sidewalk, and both of them paused for a moment to button up their coats.

"Despite hearing of its progressive improvements over the years, I wasn't keen on seeking therapy. Government regulations eventually forced my hand; otherwise, I likely never would have gone."

"It's helping you, though?" Michelangelo asked sincerely.

"Yes," Agent Bishop replied with a nod, "impressively so."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that."

"Likewise."

Mikey's cellphone buzzed in his coat pocket, bringing their conversation to an end before it had a chance to fizzle out with awkwardly drawn out good-byes. "That's probably my beau," he chirped as he glanced around at the street signs and began to hail a taxi. "I think he's kinda annoyed with me so I'd better-"

"Yes, well I've got a meeting to attend-", Bishop began to politely remark at the same time, already making a move for the slick black Impala parked next to the sidewalk that was waiting for him.

Startled shouts of surprise, alongside an odd whistling sound from above, distracted them. And as the excitement around them increased, with a couple of people pulling out their phones to try and record what they had spotted in the sky, the pair looked up to see what the cause for the commotion was. A trail of black smoke could be seen smearing across the light-blue sky between the skyscraper pillars above them. Moments later, a few blocks away, the horrifying sound of a crash was heard as the ground quaked slightly beneath their feet from the impact.

In an instant, everyone around them panicked.

"Let me ride with you!" Michelangelo shouted over the crowd as he pushed his way through them to get to Agent Bishop's car. "If you're going over to the crash site, then let me go with you!"

"You're a civilian, not a rescue worker, I won't-"

"Look, the Sunshine Cab garage is in the area where it sounds like the crash may be, and a lot of my friends work there. If there's even the slightest chance they're in trouble, then I need to be there to help!" Mikey reached out and gripped the agent's arm urgently. Forcing the man to look him in the eyes. "Please, dude…"

With a grimace of reluctant acceptance, knowing it wouldn't do either of them any good to waste time arguing about it, Agent Bishop nodded curtly. "Fine. Don't make me regret this, Michelangelo."

"You can call me Mikey, ya know." The turtle replied as he slipped past Bishop to get into the car, buckling up immediately. "And thanks! I promise, you won't regret it!"

The agent sat down and pulled up the reports that were already coming in on the built-in screen in front of his seat. "I'm going to warn you now, this could be bad."

The Impala pulled out cautiously into the crowded street. Honking its way through the confused and excited cluster of people and cars.

"I can handle it," insisted Michelangelo as he sent messages to Mitsu and Ken to see if everyone was okay at the garage. Still determined to help in any way that he could, even if the garage was nowhere near the crash after all. "Let's just hope it's not as bad as we're afraid it is."

* * *

 

Nearly two hours passed before Michelangelo finally had the opportunity to get a ride over to New Jersey to pay Woody a grossly overdue visit.

With his throat still feeling a little sore from the unavoidable smoke inhalation he had endured, and bearing a couple of minor bruises and burns from his rescue efforts, Mikey quickly plastered a reassuring smile onto his face as he walked into the waiting room for the hospital's geriatric unit. Immediately catching the attention of his worried boyfriend, who was lingering at the front desk in anticipation of his arrival.

"Geeze, Mikester, are you okay?"

"Hey, man!" Mikey waved awkwardly, letting out a surprised 'oomph' when he suddenly found himself ensnared in a bear-hug. "Ow! Sorry I missed our coffee met up earlier."

"Oh, I don't care about that right now!" Woody hissed in his ear, hugging him even tighter for a fraction of a second longer before releasing him. "Why were you even there at the crash site? I thought you weren't working today? What happen-?"

The man stiffened mid-rant when he became aware of a couple of his co-workers whispering to each another and stealing sly glances at the two of them. A mixture of embarrassment and annoyance flickered onto his face as he coaxed the mutant back out into the hallway for a little bit of privacy. "Wish people would mind their own business…" He noticed that one of Mikey's hands was bandaged, and frowned. "Again, I pose the question: what happened?!"

"Oh, this is nothing. Really!" Michelangelo insisted as his boyfriend gently pushed up the sleeve of his coat to get a better look at the bandages. "I got checked out at the EPF clinic after all the excitement died down. The burns are minor, low chance of scarring, so it's no biggie."

"No biggie?!"

"Yeah!" Mikey replied in his usual carefree tone. "Miraculously, no one was seriously injured from the crash or the fire it caused. Even the pilot! I mean, he was a little roughed up when I helped pull him out, and was kinda out of it, but I think he's going to-"

" **You** pulled him out?!"

"Yeah, the dude was big! Too big for a couple of humans to lift on their own, although those firefighters sure did try, so I stepped in." Mikey's eyes twinkled, he was still brimming with adrenaline from his earlier heroics. "Man, I haven't felt like this since I was a kid…"

"Well," Woody squeaked out in a nervous giggle, "at least you're all right and it wasn't as serious as the media was making it sound for a while there. Until news got out that it was a military plane that had technical difficulties that was passing by and crashed into the city, everyone thought this was possibly another Nine-Eleven! I mean, can you blame us when the guys in the suits wouldn't let anyone close enough to see what had crashed or how bad the damage even was?"

"They were just trying to keep the situation under control and calm, and thanks to that things turned out sunny!" Michelangelo replied dismissively, and then it began to dawn on him just how spooked by the whole ordeal he was boyfriend was. Not knowing how else to soothe him, he pressed his forehead up against Woody's. "Hey, it's okay. Everything's good..."

"Gross," a voice laughed as a couple of human teenage boys walked down the hallway towards them, "look at the furry!"

Woody pulled away fast, ducking his head in shame to prevent their snickering observers from getting a look at his face.

"Gross, look at those nasty pizza faces!" Mikey sneered with a fake smile, earning the one-finger wave from one of the boys as they continued past the couple down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. "Little close-minded punks…I don't get why people are so uptight about human/mutant relationships."

"Because that's just how some people are, I guess." Woody mumbled; keeping an appropriate distance away from the turtle, as he always tended to do whenever their intimacy was observed in public unexpectedly.

"It's not illegal anymore," the mutant huffed, "and it's dumb that it was ever illegal to begin with. All those marriages that were bulldozed because of some old law that was written forever ago that never really applied to mutants in the first place! Ugh, so lame and totally unfair!"

"We've been through this, Mikester." His boyfriend whispered, subtly hinting for Mikey to lower his voice and glancing up and down the hallway for signs of anyone else watching them. "Some of those marriages would have probably fallen apart anyway, because their loved ones being mutated was just too weird for some people to accept."

"If they loved them when they were human, then it shouldn't have mattered."

"Yeah, well not everything's neatly black and white in life." Woody snapped defensively, rubbing a hand absentmindedly through his curly hair. Something Mikey realized he tended to do when he was on edge. "Shit's complicated sometimes, not everyone handles it perfectly!"

"I'm not being judge-y about how you want to keep our relationship on the down-lo, babe. I get it," Michelangelo reassured him softly. "You're a private person, who doesn't want to advertise everything going on in your life. That's totally fine." He felt around in his pants pocket for the 20 ml bottle he carried around with him, and then presented it to his boyfriend. "You want a few drops of this to help calm you down?"

"No," the man sighed with a shake of his head. "I'm not into that holistic junk." He cast an anxious glance down at his watch. "Look, I gotta get going. I've got a patient to check in on, and I don't want my manager catching me socializing out here in the hallway when I'm supposed to be working."

"Yeah, okay." Mikey returned the herbal liquid remedy back in his pants pocket with a smile. "Do you want me to come over and cook you some dinner tonight? You know, to make up for the missed coffee date?"

"Sorry, as much as I love your cooking…"

It didn't escape the mutant's attention that Woody was doing another nervous sweep of the hallway for unwanted witnesses. He smiled brighter to make it clear that he understood. To put on a show that it didn't upset him that, despite the official legalization of human/mutant relationships a few months ago, they still kept their relationship under wraps in public.

" _We're totally fine…_ " He insisted to himself as he took a step back, gearing up to leave. "Okay, I'll let you get back to work then!"

"Mikester?"

Mikey had started to walk away, but stopped. Looking back at his boyfriend. "Yeah, dude?"

"You're the best." It was Woody's code for saying he loved him.

"Right back at ya, man."

They were fine.

* * *

 

**Saturday November 12th, 2022**

As he unloaded the groceries onto the kitchen table, Michelangelo's eyes followed his elderly friend. Watching as the retired cab driver stuck one of the two loaves of bread he was carrying into his freezer, and then placed the second one into his rarely-used microwave on the counter next to the fridge. "Hey, Alex? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Fire away, kiddo!" The old man replied with a quick glance up at his young friend, curiosity twinkling in his eyes. "Are you having trouble with that boyfriend of yours?"

"Nah! Nothing like that!" Mikey insisted with a smile as he did his part to put away the groceries. A voice in the back of his head quietly disagreed, but he shoved it aside. " _You're just imagining things, Mikester._ " He scolded himself with a shake of his head as he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Things are great with Woody! I'm just curious to hear your thoughts about something I've been thinking about doing."

"What's on your mind?"

Michelangelo hesitated for a moment, pausing mid-way through the process of putting the coffee into its designated cupboard. "Do you think it's wrong for me to be considering getting a new job?"

"Not if you feel it's necessary, no. Why? Are you getting restless at Sunshine Cabs?"

"Oh no, I still enjoy driving…it's just…Woody's needled at me more than once about taking advantage of my talent and knowledge to get a better-paying job, and...well… I think I may have stumbled across one."

"Oh, yeah?" Alex grinned, intrigued, and took a seat at the table. Encouraging Mikey to do the same. "So, spill, kiddo! What kind of job is it?"

"I'm going to try my hand at being a caterer!" After a couple of minutes explaining how the job offer had fallen into his lap, Michelangelo leaned back in his seat with a confident smile on his face. "I talked with Shelly about it earlier this morning. She's Mr. Murakami's granddaughter-"

"Oh, from that noodle shop you took me to a few years back?"

"Yeah! She owns another, bigger restaurant that does catering services. So, she gave me a run down on what to expect, and a ton of great advice. And I really feel, in my gut, that I should take advantage of this opportunity and go for it. But, do you think it's a good idea?"

"I think you should listen to your instincts." The elderly man remarked knowingly. "It's not like you've decided to just quit being a cabbie, this is just one job. A test run. And, honestly? I think you'd be great at it!"

"Ya really think so?" Mikey asked with a bashful chuckle, getting up when he noticed they had left a bag untouched on the counter. He began unloading its contents, and let his doubts become vocal. "I'm a little nervous that it's going to be too much for me and I'll flake out halfway through, or something will go wrong that I can't figure out a solution for."

"I think you'll do just fine," Alex replied faithfully. "You're quick on your feet in a pinch, and think outside the box. I can see you breezing through any obstacle that comes your way, Jim. And you'd do it with a smile on your face too."

"Jim?"

"Hm?"

"You, uh, you just called me Jim, dude."

"I did?" Alex stared back at him for a moment, perplexed, and then chuckled. "Sorry, I don't know why I did that..."

He got up to join his young friend, plucking the cereal box that had been put aside off of the counter, and putting it away in the cabinet next to the stove. In those few seconds, his unusual slip of the tongue had been promptly forgotten. "What were we…? Oh, right! Anyway; like I said, I think you'll do just fine in that line of work. But if you walk away from this wedding gig feeling like it's not for you after all, then that's okay too. Even if you did quit to make a go of this catering thing long-term, and it didn't work out, Louie would still take you back in a heartbeat!"

"Really?" Michelangelo knew Louie was fond of him, although the crabby old man sure as hell would never admit to it out loud, but he wasn't convinced that he'd be quite so forgiving of Mikey hypothetically leaving the job to pursue something else. "I mean…he's kinda vindictive sometimes."

"Yes, but he's also prone to laziness." Alex reminded him, his voice full of good humor. "A few of us have left over the years, for one reason or another, but we weren't denied our jobs back when things didn't work out. So, don't worry about it!"

"You too?"

"Yup," the retired cabbie driver pointed at the scar on his ear. "I got shot by one of my customers when they tried robbing me. It spooked me enough to quit the job, but I eventually came back to it."

"Oh, wow. I'm sorry you had to go through that!"

"Don't be! That was ages ago, and everything turned out good in the end."

"I guess that does make me feel a little better about it…To be honest, I've been entertaining a couple of other potential career paths too." Michelangelo admit as he leaned against the counter, thinking about the one that was on the forefront of his mind at the moment. "The catering one's my favorite right now, though. I mean, it is kinda perfect for me. Working from home, on my own hours, mostly being my own boss? It would be hella rad! Plus, I can get away with focusing on my writing more too. I can slip into plot-developing autopilot while I cook!"

"Are you still working on that book you told me about?"

"Yup!" A new form of excitement flashed in Mikey's eyes. "I've already started on the first draft, and it's been flowing beautifully! If I can keep going at this pace, then I could have it done and published by the summer!"

Alex snagged a couple of beers from the fridge while Mikey fixed them some sandwiches, and then they once again settled down at the table. Enjoying their meager meal, and chatting away the hour.

When it came time for the young mutant to leave, he was even more confident and excited over his prospects for the future. A new career would give him the spark he felt he needed lately. Not only that, but it would also satisfy Woody's well-intentioned insistence that he do something more with his life than stay settled on cab driving. His amped up creativity gave him high hopes over how the book was going to turn out too.

" _And if it doesn't play out as nice as I'd like it to, then it's not the end of the world_." He told himself later on after he had called Shinigami to let her know he was accepting her offer. Making his way home through the old subway tunnels with a skip in his step. " _I've got Karai, Kitsune, and little Yoshi. I've got Alex, Elaine, Shini, and Ry and the band…._ "

He unlocked the Lair's front door once he finally got there, and made his way into his blissfully warm home. Smiling adoringly at his cat when Klunk rounded the corner with his tail fluffed up with excitement, trotting over to Michelangelo with meows of happy greetings. "Hi there, my beautiful baby boy!" He scooped his pet up in his arms and kissed the animal's forehead. "I've got you too, huh, little one?"

Mikey carried Klunk into the kitchen, let the cat scurry out of his arms, and got down a can of wet food. Watching, with a smile, as Klunk gobbled it up greedily after the plate was set down on the floor. "I get the feeling everything's going to turn out great."

* * *

 

**Tuesday, December 20th, 2022**

The last notes of 'Ironic' played as Michelangelo took Exit 19 to get off of I-91 North, and the radio morning host chuckled into his mic. "Hey, remember when Alanis Morresette played God in that movie, 'Dogma'?"

"I've never seen it," his co-host replied nonchalantly, "but yeah, I remember that."

"Who was that directed by? Kevin James?"

"No, I'm pretty sure Kevin James is an actor."

"Kevin Smith," Michelangelo mumbled to himself as he flicked his blinker on, checked his shoulder, and glided his car into the left-hand lane of the off-ramp. Coming to stop at the set of lights ahead of him, he turned the volume knob up slightly as he waited for the light to change green so he could follow the sign for Route 9 West and get onto Damon Road.

"It was Kevin something…You know, 'Clerks'. I've got his name on the tip of my tongue!" The male host lamented, sighing with slight exasperation over his inability to pull up the name he was thinking of. "Jen, this is going to drive me crazy. I know the director's name, I've watched both of those movies a dozen times. Who wants to bet that I won't remember who he is until I'm in the middle of grocery shopping later?"

"Smith. Dude's name is Kevin Smith! I've never even seen his flicks, and I know that!" Laughed Mikey, letting out a little cheer as the light finally switched from red to green. "I totally feel your frustration though, dude." He said sympathetically; after all, he was no stranger to moments like what the morning host was experiencing.

"Oh, I got it!" Chirped the co-host, Jen. "It's Kevin Smith."

"Thank you!" Both Mikey and the host exclaimed together as the mutant drove past the Connecticut River Greenway State Park.

He ended up switching the station after a couple of minutes. Becoming bored of the morning show's next topic of discussion, and finding himself more in the mood for music rather than talk show chatter. After scanning through a few channels, he eventually settled on a folk music station instead. Humming quietly with the music as he drummed his fingers along his steering wheel. Keeping an eye out for Prospect Avenue, he reflected on how much he had come to enjoy this genre of music since accidently stumbling across a station featuring it a couple of years earlier.

The songs he had heard so far always had interesting stories to tell; whether it was happy or sad, he still found the music relaxing to listen to.

His cell phone buzzed to alert him that he had gotten a text, and he wondered if it was Ryan reminding him of the of the band's New Year's Eve party. As if he could forget it! Thanks to how busy Ryan and the others had been since hitting it big mainstream, it had been ages since the last time they had seen each other. Not that he was complaining; he was honestly thrilled for them that things had turned so well in their favor after their years of hard work. That didn't stop him from missing them though.

To say Mikey was looking forward to their upcoming reunion was an understatement.

He had forgotten about the unread text a few minutes later as he turned onto North Elm Street. Going slower than he needed to, but feeling free to do so since there wasn't a vehicle following him to pressure him into driving faster. It wasn't long before he spotted the number he was looking for, and he admired the aesthetically appealing design of the old house as he pulled his car over to the curb and got out.

With a duffle bag slung over his right shoulder, and a pie held carefully in his left hand, he walked towards the front door with a little spring in his step and happily rapped upon it.

He was greeted by a blur of wild black curls, as the little girl they belonged to barreled into him the moment she opened the door. "Uncle Mikey!"

"Hey, sweetie!" As she cackled with delight, Michelangelo gave Donna a one-armed hug and then, careful not to drop the pie, he lifted her effortlessly up onto his right shoulder. Ducking cautiously as he stepped through the threshold into the house. "You have any wild adventures lately?"

"I'm going to Gravity Falls with Agent Mulder and Agent Cooper to investigate a missing Big Foot. So far, our evidence suggests the aliens know something about it!"

"Wow, that sounds like a really interesting case. Do you have any leads?"

"Duck Dodgers is working with us, and he's convinced it's Marvin The Martian. Dale thinks it's Aku."

"Isn't Aku a demon?"

"He could be an alien too!"

Laughing at her annoyance with his suggestion, the mutant put her down and watched her dart down the hall. Her sneakers squeaked against the laminate flooring of the kitchen when she rounded the corner, and he heard her bellow to her mother that he was there. He smiled warmly at April as she exited the kitchen to greet him, and happily accepted her hug. "That daughter of yours is going to write awesome fanfiction someday!"

"Oh, she told you about her case in Gravity Falls, huh?" April asked as the two of them watched the excited little girl run off into the living room to resume playing her game.

"With Agent Mulder and Agent Cooper?"

"We were watching a special on TV a couple of weeks ago about the best fantasy shows of the 90s; naturally, The X-Files and Twin Peaks were both on there. Donna was smitten with both of the agents!"

"Mulder was cool, but Cooper's my favorite out of the two."

"Me too. Probably because he reminds me of you, Mikey!"

April led him back down the hall he had come in from, and up the narrow staircase. Bringing him to the guestroom she had prepared for him. "Make yourself comfortable, and let me know if you need more blankets. We have plenty to spare!"

"Thank you again, so much, for letting me stay here while I'm doing this job." Michelangelo exclaimed as he plopped his duffle bag down on the bed, casting a glance out the window to admire the small yet cozy backyard. "It's so pretty here!"

"Yeah, Chu and I really lucked out with this place. It was his grandmother's, and when she decided she wanted to move to her house in Florida permanently, she made a deal with us to buy this house from her. There's plenty of room for the four of us," she smiled down at her belly, "and if Chu and I do have one or two more children after this baby is born, then there's wiggle room to play with if need be as well!"

"The neighborhood seems nice, what I saw of it." Mikey remarked, craning his neck to see as much of the surrounding yards as he could from the small window. "You're not too far from the main stretch…do you walk to work?"

"Most of the time, yeah."

"That must be really nice."

"It is!" She walked around the bed and hugged him. "I still can't get over how tall you've gotten since we were kids. I think you're almost as tall as Splinter was!"

"Almost, but not quite." Mikey laughed, his eyes falling back onto the backyard. "He would have loved it here. I bet your yard's beautiful in the warm seasons."

"Beautiful doesn't begin to describe it!" It was her turn to laugh as they trailed out of the room to make their way back downstairs. "The yard and gardens are Chu's domain, he's the one with the green thumb."

They entered the kitchen, where dinner was almost done cooking. Michelangelo closed his eyes and inhaled the tantalizing smell. Bending over to take a peek at what was cooking in the oven. "That smells great!"

"I hope you like it, it's my dad's lamb and orzo recipe."

Dinner soon followed, and was happily enjoyed by everyone present. Chu and the Donna cleaned up as Michelangelo went over what he needed to get. April was pretty confident that everything he needed, that he hadn't already brought with him, could be found in the stores in town. And so, a few minutes later, they set off on their shopping trip.

Eager to show off the town she loved with her visiting friend, April took him on a grand tour of Northampton. Showing off all the hot spots, and her personal favorite places to visit. Beaming with pride as she did so.

Michelangelo could see why she loved it so much.

Later that night, after they had gotten home and he had made the family dessert, everyone went outside to the backyard. The four of them gathered around the small fire pit situated in center of the perfectly landscaped flower garden that Chu had designed. And, in no time, the flames cackled in the small enclosure.

Mikey stared up at the sky, and couldn't help but be entranced by the stars above him. Only having seen such a sight once before, during his road trip with Ryan and the band a few years prior. "Wow…"

Compared to a more remote area, it probably didn't look like much. But to someone like Mikey, it was a sight to behold.

"You don't get to see this in the Big Apple," April remarked with a smile. Enjoying seeing his childlike wonder. She had missed that about him. "I could stare at the stars for hours."

"I totally believe it," the mutant murmured back with a smile of his own. "I could too..."

* * *

 

**Saturday December 31st, 2022**

"I really think you're making a mistake."

Oh, goodie. This argument again. Repressing the strong urge to sigh, Mikey looked over his shoulder and shrugged at his boyfriend. "Well, it's my mistake to make, and I've gone ahead and made it. So, can we please just drop this now?"

Predictably, Woody wasn't pleased with that answer.

"Come on, Mikey! Why do you have to be so stubborn about this?"

Rolling his eyes, which earned him an annoyed grumble from Woody when his boyfriend caught him doing it, Michelangelo wandered out of his bedroom and made a beeline to the bathroom. Posing in front of the mirror to get a look at his outfit. "Do you think this looks too formal for the New Year's bash? I wore it at Gwendolyn's wedding banquet."

"It looks fine," sighed Woody as he peeked his head through the doorway. "Would you quit dodging the question?"

"It's not dodging if I've already answered," Mikey quipped back, squeezing past the man to move on to his next stop. Heading over to the kitchen, with his boyfriend trailing behind him, so he could grab the appetizer's he had prepared for the party. "I know you were really excited for me about the job, but it just didn't take."

"But you said Dr. Yeo and her daughter both loved what you did!" Woody continued to argue, following him across the Lair. Practically hovering over the mutant's shoulder as he tried to stress his point. "You did a great job, and I bet you've gotten good buzz from the wedding guests for that. Instead of passing up on such a fantastic opportunity, you should be taking advantage of it to launch a catering career!"

"It's not something I'm interested in doing right now, okay?" Michelangelo tried to keep his steadily-building annoyance out of his voice, and put on a forced light-hearted smile. He didn't want to snap at Woody. Things were strained enough between them already lately, he didn't want to make things worse if he could avoid it. "I'm not dissing on my skills here, I know I did a great job with it. But doing Gwendolyn's party ended up being way more stressful than I had anticipated, and I don't like that."

"But-"

"Dude, please, I'm begging ya!" He stopped in his tracks, spun on his heel, and shot a pleading look at his boyfriend. "Just…accept my decision and let it go, okay?"

Woody groaned in aggravation. For a moment, it looked as if he was going to ignore Mikey's wishes and argue his opinion again anyway. But then his shoulders sagged in defeat. He nodded his head stiffly. "Yeah, fine, whatever, I'll drop it."

Sulkily, he wandered over to the kitchen sink to grab a glass of water.

Michelangelo watched him fill the glass anxiously, rapidly tapping his fingers against the side of his leg unconsciously as he fought off the nagging feeling that Woody was probably thinking he was just being lazy and unambitious about this whole thing. With a shake of his head to shoo away the intrusive thoughts, he forced his feet to walk over to the fridge so he could make sure he wasn't forgetting any of the appetizers. Then he went back to the island table and pressed down on each and every one of the Tupperware containers covers to make sure they were all sealed tight. Bundling everything together so it would be easier for the two of them to carry.

"I adore ya, Mikester," Woody remarked a moment later as he put his empty cup down on the countertop, "but it kills me to see you brimming with such raw talent, and letting it go to waste like this."

Of course, he had to get in the last word. And as passive-aggressively as possible, too. Eroding the mutant's self-esteem, and making him feel like he was being a childish idiot for passing up on what Woody deemed a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"Why do you always have to do that?..."

"Do what?"

"Act like you're one of my damn brothers, instead of my boyfriend? You're always making little digs at me for the decisions I make that you disagree with, or think are too wild to be accomplished. Can't you at least pretend to support me once in a while?"

"I do support you," Woody argued heatedly. Offended by the suggestion that he wasn't. "I just said you had raw talent!"

"Yeah," Mikey scoffed, "and then you insinuated in the same breath that I'm being an idiot for not doing what you would do if you were in my shoes."

"Well, maybe if you took a chance, and widened your horizons a bit instead of just settling on some crummy job when we both know you can do better, I wouldn't feel like I have to be the adult in this relationship and get on your case about these sorts of things!"

Michelangelo opened his mouth to defend himself, but stopped. He wanted to point out that he had taken a chance when he accepted Shini's offer, even though he thought it would wind up being too much for him to handle. He wanted to remind Woody that if he never pursued catering at all in the future, that there were plenty of other career options he could explore down the road.

Like possibly opening up a bakery or little diner. Or maybe, despite Woody's loudly expressed doubts that it would ever realistically happen, his writing could possibly take off someday. He wanted to remind his boyfriend, too, that he enjoyed the job he had now. That he wasn't hurting for money either, and that he could keep at it like this for a few more years while he figured out if there was something else out there for him that suited him better and would feel more fulfilling.

He stopped himself, as he had done many times in the past, and not just with Woody, because he knew it wasn't worth it. He had learned a long time ago that when someone doesn't want to listen to what you have to say, there is no getting through to them. There wasn't any point in explaining his reasons for making the decisions he makes, or expressing his ideas, if they were just going to fall on willfully deaf ears. He might as well be talking to himself in that case.

"Sorry." He said instead, putting on a light smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He nodded at his boyfriend to follow him as he exited the kitchen, carrying the food he had promised Ryan he would bring. "Let's just drop it for now, and go have some fun. Okay?"

They arrived at the Mighty Mutanimals loft a half hour later, and drifted their separate ways.

Mikey tried to keep his drinks to a minimum, and kept himself occupied with the animated discussions of his friends. Stealing glances at Woody, who did his best to avoid eye contact and wandered away whenever the mutant made a move to go over and talk to him. When he watched his boyfriend leave with one of Candy's friends, he didn't try to stop him.

" _Maybe she'll cheer him up…_ " He thought to himself as he finished off his drink.

It didn't surprise him that Woody was about to cheat on him. Mikey suspected that he probably had already. What did surprise him, however, was the realization that he didn't care.

Later on, his boyfriend and his new lady friend made their reappearance amongst the party-going crowd. When the lanky man's eyes fell on Michelangelo, he had the decency to look a little ashamed of himself.

"Hey, uh, I'm getting a little tired. I'm not used to late nights like this." Woody mumbled once he cut through the crowd and met up with the turtle. "Do you want to head back to your place after the ball drop?"

"Yeah, sure." Mikey said quietly. "I'm kinda tired too."

He considered letting Woody know he knew what was going on, but changed his mind. If Woody was feeling guilty about it, then maybe he still wanted to work things out. Maybe it wasn't the end of their relationship. Hell, Mikey didn't even really care that his boyfriend was seeing other people on the side. He wasn't blind, he knew what their common denominator was. Horny Humans. Something he was the polar opposite of.

" _I'll tell him I know about it later._ " He decided as everyone gathered around the loft's window to get a look at the brightly lit ball towering over Times Square. " _Maybe in the morning when things aren't as…hostile with him. With us_."

The drunken crowd around them cheered out the countdown as the shimmering sphere slowly began its descent.

"4! 3! 2! 1!...HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

* * *

 

**Sunday January 1st, 2023**

Michelangelo lay awake in his bed, feeling delightfully snug beneath the layers of blankets that he had piled on it. By his side, Woody slept soundly. Embraced by a slumber so deep that it made the turtle feel a little envious. It had been many years since he was able to sleep so contently through the night like that.

Nowadays, he was accustomed to waking up periodically in the middle of the night. Sometimes it was the unpleasantness within his own mind that jolted him awake. Other times, like tonight, he just found himself waking up for no reason. Staring up at the ceiling and trying to find a way to lure back the sandman.

He glanced over at his boyfriend and watched the man's chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm. Idly wondering what Woody was dreaming about. Then his eyes wandered to digital clock on the bookcase on other side of his room by the bedroom door; reading the time, he groaned mildly. It was nearly four o'clock in the morning.

" _Might as well get up and do my katas early_."

Mikey silently slipped out of bed, being careful not to disturb the man who was curled in on himself under the blankets, and left the room. His bare feet padded softly against the cement floor as he made his trek to the dojo, capturing Klunk's attention from his perch on the sofa in the pit. With a sleepy blink, the cat watched his owner enter the special room and close the door behind him; then he yawned, lowered his head, and went back to sleep.

Klunk was used to the mutant's sporadic early risings.

Inside the dojo, Michelangelo made his way over to the altar. Making sure it was pristinely clean, and that the flowers he had placed there were still flourishing. Once he was finished, he knelt down and prayed to his lost family. Sending them his love with all his heart. Then, he made his way over to his favorite spot in front of the tree. Doing some light stretching at first, and then going through the techniques that had been etched into his brain since his early childhood. Letting himself become lost in a trace.

When he was finished, he let out a long breath and opened his eyes. Oddly unsurprised to find Woody leaning against the doorway. "Hey."

"Hey…" His boyfriend looked a little uncomfortable, like he was ashamed for watching the workout uninvited.

"I usually shower after I do my katas," Mikey told him, "but I can make you breakfast now if you're hungry."

"No, it's okay." Woody said softly, his eyes wandering over the scars on the turtle's skin, plastron, and shell that were usually hidden underneath long-sleeved shirts and pants. "I, uh…I can wait to eat. Go ahead and wash up."

The shower was quick, and Michelangelo was a nervous wreck the entire time. A few minutes later, as he made the two of them breakfast, his anxiety only increased. A likely-to-be-uncomfortable conversation was going to take place any moment now, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for it. He had already made up his mind about what he thought the two of them should do. The problem was, would Woody accept it?

"Here ya go," he said as he deposited a simple plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of his boyfriend. "Do you want anything in your coffee?"

"No," Woody replied as he stared down at the food. Slowly picking up his fork, but hesitating on eating the meal that had been presented to him. He sighed uneasily as he watched Mikey sit down across from him at the table. "We need to talk…"

"I already know you're sleeping around, ya know."

Flabbergasted by the calmly stated remark, the man dropped his fork. Although, he managed to catch it in the nick of time before it hit the floor. With a nervous chuckle, he cleared his throat and struggled for a moment on what to say in response. "Um…you know what now?"

Sighing, not appreciating Woody's attempt at playing dumb, Michelangelo took a sip of his coffee, placed his mug back on the table, and locked eyes with his boyfriend. "Dude, don't treat me like I'm dumb or try to gaslight me here. I put up with enough of that crap growing up. Okay?"

Swallowing hard, realizing he wasn't going to be able to squirm his way out of acknowledging what he was being calmly confronted with, Woody put his fork down next to his untouched breakfast and leaned back in his seat. His guilt was plain as day on his face. "Okay, yeah…yeah, I've been cheating on you…for a while now."

"I'm okay with it."

"I'm so sor-…wait, what?!"

"I really am," Mikey stressed with a reassuring smile. Pausing for a moment to try to begin to explain why. He had rehearsed it a dozen times while he was in the shower, and then while he was getting dressed. But now that the moment had come to say it out loud, he was scrambling to come up with the words without botching it up and upsetting his boyfriend. "I…well…I know dating me hasn't been easy for you."

"Mikester, I-"

"Dude, just let me say this!"

Reluctantly, Woody complied. Looking perplexed, ashamed, and frustrated all at once.

"I know it hasn't been easy because of the whole mutant thing," Michelangelo began again, "and how anxious you get in situations where we're hanging out publicly. And I totally understand, okay? I don't hold that against you or resent you for it. I get pretty anxious about stuff too, so I know how you feel. But, well, you're kinda being deprived of the dating experience because of it. And, sometimes, I kinda feel like you're taking out your frustrations on me. So, um…"

Again, he found himself faltering.

"Well…I remembered how Lito and his boyfriend did things in season one of Sense 8, and thought we could maybe try doing something like that?"

"I'm not following you, Mikester." Woody said slowly, confused by what exactly was being suggested. "You want to talk somebody, a human, into pretending to be my date in public? While you play bodyguard or something?"

"Well, not exactly that. I thought we could try being in a poly…polyamis? Damnit, no, that's not the word!" He was trying to make a serious suggestion to solve their relationship problems, and his mind wasn't cooperating in the slightest. Embarrassed, he gave up on trying to remember what the term was. "This doesn't sound as classy, sorry, but I think we should try being in a threesome!"

An uncertain expression crossed Woody's face. "Uh…"

"No, it could totally work! You can date humans while you're dating me!" Mikey quickly, desperately, rambled in defense of his suggestion. "I'm not interested in seeing other people myself, but I legit have no problem if you want to do that! You could go on dates without having to be sneaky lowkey about it, and enjoy yourself without worrying about what the folks around you think about it. You could have fun! And you wouldn't have to feel guilty about it, because I totally give you my consent to do this!"

"Oh, wow." Completely taken aback by what was being proposed to him, Woody slouched even further in his chair. Staring down at his plate without really seeing it. He looked conflicted over how to feel about the whole thing. "You're really okay with having an open relationship?"

"Yeah!" Hopeful that his boyfriend might accept this option to salvage their relationship, Michelangelo excitedly nodded his head in confirmation. "I really think this will help us! So, I'm totally cool with sharing you with other folks if that'll make you happy!"

Staring back at him with wide eyes, looking dumbfounded, Woody slowly let a grin blossom across his face. He got up from his seat, rounded the table, and for the first time in a long time he gave the turtle a hug. "Mikester, you're the best!"

Breakfast resumed with a significantly brighter mood to it, and Mikey couldn't be more relieved.

* * *

 

**Friday February 3rd, 2023**

Michelangelo lay on the roof of the Sunshine Cab Company, pausing mid-paragraph in his reading when he heard his phone buzz next to him. Snagging a handful of almonds, and shoving them into his mouth, he picked up the ancient device to see who was texting him. Smiling brightly when he realized it was from Sara.

The photograph she had taken was of a slightly tilted view of her windshield; and off in the distance, ahead of the backed-up traffic she was currently stuck in, was the New York City horizon.

"You're coming to visit?" He squeaked in surprise as he texted her back. Feeling excited over the prospect. He hadn't seen her since the surprise birthday bash Woody and Karai had set up for him back in September. Out of all of his friends, he saw her the least frequently. He got to hang out with Ryan and The Mighty Mutanimals more often than he got to see her, despite their songs landing on the Top 40 these days and their long bouts of time spent away from the Big Apple.

When she texted back, still stuck in traffic, that she was going be staying in the city indefinitely, he let out a little whoop of joy. "Man, this is going to be fun!"

Ryan and the band were away from the city doing concerts across the country, Karai and her family were in China visiting with her mother's side of the family, and Mitsu and Ken were often too busy with their son's after school activities or having parent-teacher meetings to hang out much these days. Alex was recovering from his recent hip surgery, and Mikey visited with him every day for lunch, as well as every night if the old man didn't already have company over. But, as much as he enjoyed spending time with his surrogate father, it wasn't quite fulfilling enough for the cravings of his extrovert nature.

He wanted to hang out with someone in a more active setting too. Hanging out at a bar sharing stories and laughs over a few drinks, going dancing at the clubs, or checking out the latest movie that had captured his interest. Spending the night in with a friend, or a group of friends, playing board games and video games with a drinking game being played along with it for kicks.

He loved that kind of fun energy!

Sure, he had his weekends with Woody, but for the rest of the week he didn't see his boyfriend much either. Michelangelo was a social butterfly, he liked hanging out with someone after a long day's work. So, with everyone he knew either being gone or otherwise preoccupied, Sara's unexpected return to the city was a gleefully welcomed relief.

"I'm so looking forward to hanging out when you get here!" He said slowly under his breath as he typed it out on the tiny screen in front of him. Letting her know when his shift was ending in a few hours. Then he glanced at his watch and sulked. "And, back to work I go!"

Grabbing his paperback copy of 'Doctor Sleep', and making sure the almond bag was sealed tight, Mikey admired the beautiful rolling clouds above him for a moment and then descended from the roof. Returning to the Cage a couple of minutes later to receive his keys so he could hit the streets once more.

When he returned to the garage a few hours later to clock out for the day, he was pretty surprised to find Sara waiting for him in the break room.

"Hey, Mikey." She said over her shoulder with a warm smile on her face. She slowly stood up and turned to face him. Surprising him once again when her very distinct belly bump was revealed to him. "It's good to see you."

"Whoa, you're pregnant?" Blinking, letting the sight sink in, Michelangelo beamed as he rushed over and gave her a gentle hug. "That's awesome! Congrats!"

"Mikey, please!" Sara laughed, casting a cautious glance up at the closed door of Louie's office. "Not too loud, I don't want that troll you still work for to hear you and come down."

"Oops, sorry! Good point, haha!" He signaled for her to wait a moment, and then brought his keys over to the Cage and went through the motions of clocking out from his shift. Then, still beaming happily, he wrapped his arm around her in a hug and led her out of the garage.

In no time, they were back out on the street and shuffling into her car.

"I can't believe you're pregnant, and you didn't tell me!" He chided her teasingly as he buckled up. Feeling weird being the passenger for a change. "I thought you didn't want to have kids?"

"I didn't…and then, when it happened…I just didn't feel right about doing anything about it." She remarked, sounding a little perplexed about her thought process herself. "I dunno, I guess deep down I didn't believe in my own cynical BS about having kids?"

"You fell in love with your baby!"

"Yeah, I guess I did." She tucked her loose hair behind her ears, and eyed Mikey nervously before pulling out into the traffic. "Can I, um, ask you a favor?"

"Of course, I'd do anything for you!" He eagerly replied, fully meaning it.

"Do you mind if I crash with you for a bit?" Sara asked hopefully. "I still haven't really figured out what my game plan is, and I need to stay in one place for a while even after this kid is born. Stacey doesn't have enough room in her apartment for me to stay there with this baby…and I remembered that you had offered for me to stay with you in the past…"

"The offer still stands, Sara!" Michelangelo said happily, glancing at the street signs ahead of them. It wouldn't take long to get to the apartment building from the street they were currently driving down. "Take a right at the next set of lights. We'll head home now and get you settled in. You can use the room April stayed in when she crashed with us years ago."

There was more than enough room in the Lair, but he just didn't feel right letting someone use one of his brothers' rooms or his father's room. They were sacred spaces in his home. Memorials for the family he had lost.

"There's plenty of space at home for the two of you, I promise!" He continued cheerfully, "And you can stay for as long as you like!"

"Thank you so much, Mikey. You're a lifesaver!"

While there were several routes to get to the tunnels that led to his home, Michelangelo brought her to the one that had the easiest and safest access. It was the same one he had instructed Woody to use; located in Dr. Jacob Chandler's apartment building, which his mother, Catherine, had used years ago whenever she wanted to visit Vincent and the community that lived beneath the city.

"Everyone in this building is a Helper, and knows about this entrance." Mikey explained to her as they went down into the basement, and he pulled out the moveable shelf to reveal the door hidden behind it. "If you come across anyone, and they ask you questions, just tell them you're a friend of mine, Jacob, and Vincent. No one will give you any trouble after that!"

He guided her through the various tunnels that were used by Vincent's community; and then, once they reached the point where a section of one of the tunnels paralleled with a long-abandoned subway track, they branched off. Cautiously crossing the old tracks, and walking up a workman's ramp that brought them up onto a passenger platform. Decades ago, it would have been bustling with people waiting for their ride. Now, it was just a forgotten piece of New York City's history.

"I've heard about this kind of thing," Sara murmured in a fascinated tone while they walked. Unbuttoning her coat slightly, surprised by how warm it was underground without a crowd of people or any heaters on. "About there being abandoned stations like this, and mole people living under the city…but it's kinda surreal actually seeing it for myself."

"Woody said the same thing." Remarked Michelangelo with a smile, finding her childlike wonder over her surroundings very endearing. They continued onward in a comfortable silence, admiring a couple of old posters on the wall that had remained mostly intact, albeit faded, over the years.

"I'm sorry this is such a long walk." It just dawned on him that the trek to his home could be doing a number on her since she was so late into her pregnancy. "That can't be easy on your feet or back right now."

"I've got some comfy sneakers on, so I'll live," she said cheerily. "Besides, I love walking. Although I gotta ask, just to satisfy my curiosity, but are there even any other ways to access these tunnels?"

Mikey grinned, chuckling a little as he remembered what it was like when he was fifteen. "Oh, there's plenty of ways to access these tunnels, but I wouldn't recommend any of the rest of them to you. The one from Jay's place is definitely the nicest, safest, and most sanitary one. I'm so glad I can use it now!"

"You couldn't before?"

"Not when I was fifteen, no. Mutants were the big unknown back then, and in those days my bros and I had made a few dangerous enemies during our sneaky night trips topside. So, we had to use the sewer tunnels a lot to get home. They're a maze, and some of them are icky, so they were useful in keeping the baddies off our tails and far away from the Lair!"

"Ugh, nasty! You've really travelled through the sewer?" Sara gagged just thinking about it. "Even the really gross parts?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Mikey informed her with an amused grin. "I still do, but only the mostly sanitary ones these days. I love that I never have to travel through the poop zones ever again!"

"Oh, I'm going to barf! That's disgusting!"

"Yes, I can confirm that it was!"

A few minutes later they passed through the turnstile he was long familiar with, walked down the worn wide steps, and he happily unlocked his front door. Letting his new houseguest into his brightly lit home.

"Oh, damn, this is cool!" Sara remarked with a smile full of awe. "This is, like, something out of my wildest dreams as a kid! You grew up here?"

"Yup," he took off her coat and hung it up. Then offered her his arm with a smile. "Shall I give you the tour and show you where you'll be staying?"

She gratefully accepted his arm, and let him lead the way.

After showing her around, they passed the time for the next couple of hours catching up on all the things that had been going on in their lives since the last time they had seen each other. Things that couldn't be properly expressed in a text message or series of goofy snapchats. She told him about some of the places she had worked at during her latest batch of travels. While he told her about meeting up with an old friend again, and his relationship with Woody.

Mikey was in the middle of preparing dinner, chuckling over a joke Sara had cracked about one of her casual friends, when Woody let himself into the Lair. He entered the kitchen looking slightly suspicious of the scene before him. Frowning at the woman sitting on the stool closest to the fridge, although she was too preoccupied by her phone to notice him.

"Uh, hey…" He pointedly looked at Michelangelo, who had his back to the man and was stirring some sauce on the stove. "You didn't tell me you were having other company over tonight, hon."

"Hey babe!" Mikey chirped back happily, oblivious of his boyfriend's discomfort. "Sara surprised me with her long-overdue return to the city. Sorry, I was going to send you an FYI about it and got distracted. If there's someone you'd like to invite over for dinner too, though, that's totally cool. I've made plenty of food!"

"No, that's fine…" The man said stiffly, a little uncomfortable with the suggestion. "It looks like you're almost done, and it's kinda short notice for a last-minute invite."

"Okay, well, the offer stands for future usage then!" Mikey still hadn't met any of Woody's other dates, even though he had eagerly expressed interest in them once the couple began exploring having a more open relationship.

Woody took a seat on the stool closest to the kitchen entrance, and studied the woman. It didn't take long for him to remember who she was, and he immediately noticed that she was due to give birth any day now. "So, um, do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Hm?" Sara stopped scrolling on her phone and looked over at him, confused by the question for a moment until it made sense again. Looking down at her large belly, she gave it an odd sort of smile. "I don't know, I wouldn't let them tell me."

"You wanted to be surprised?"

"Yeah…something like that."

Woody frowned, but was interrupted by a heaping plate of spaghetti being placed in front of him before he could follow up on his line of questioning.

"Bon Appetite, my lovelies!" Michelangelo cried out happily as he slid back over to the counter beside the stove, grabbed his own plate, and got settled down on his own stool. "There's plenty left over for seconds, so don't be shy!"

"This is amazing, Mikey!" Exclaimed Sara through a mouthful of food. "God, I missed your cooking! Diner food's good, if you know which joints to go to, but a homecooked meal from you blows them out of the water big time!"

"Thanks!" The turtle glanced over at Woody, and did his best not to grimace when he noticed the tell-tale signs that his boyfriend was about to launch into a speech about his opinion of Michelangelo's career choices. "Ah, Woody's been trying to talk me into becoming a professional chef, or do catering for a living, because he loves my cooking so much."

"Oh, don't do that!" Sara said with a snort, interrupting the statement Woody was about to make and earning a perplexed look from him in response. "Your cooking's a product of love! Don't spoil it by trying to make money off of it. It'll become a chore if you do that, and then you'll hate it!"

Michelangelo, beaming with enthusiasm that she understood why he wasn't too keen on the idea himself, pointed at her with a big thumbs up. "Thank you!"

Any argument Woody may have been gearing up to make was promptly silenced. He didn't say anything else for the rest of the meal. It wasn't until he overheard Sara telling Mikey she was going to go to her room after she finished eating dessert that he found his voice again.

"I'm sorry, did she just say her room?"

"Oh, yeah. She's crashing with me for a bit until the baby's born and she figures out what she's going to do next."

Woody nodded his head slowly and silently, glanced between the two friends as they smiled warmly at each other for a moment before they continued to eat, and then rose from his stool. Walking over to the fridge, scanning the beverage options, and plucking out a beer for himself. He popped off the cap and took a long swallow. "So, Sara, do you have any baby names picked out yet?"

* * *

 

**Saturday, February 11th 2023**

"Hey, Mikester?"

"Yeah, hon?"

"Has your guest given any indications on how long she's planning on staying with you after her baby's born?"

Michelangelo glanced over at Woody, and noticed that his boyfriend had barely touched his popcorn. "Well, we didn't discuss a set timeline or anything," he said as his picked at his own buttery snack, "I just told her it was okay for her to stay for as long as she needed a roof over her head."

"And she couldn't stay at her friend's apartment?"

"Not enough room, dude."

Woody did a subtle scan of the seats around them. They were the only ones in the cinema so far, which seemed to relax the man. Making him braver to speak his mind. "I don't like it, Mikester."

"Why? Don't you like Sara?"

"I like her well enough, I guess." His boyfriend replied a little stiffly. "But I don't trust her."

"What?" Mikey laughed in disbelief, earning a stern shushing from the man beside him. His amusement subsided when he realized that this wasn't a joke after all. "Seriously?"

"I just can't shake the feeling that she's taking advantage of you." Woody said quietly, looking over his shoulder at the entrances flanking both sides of the cinema for any other pre-previews early arrivers like them. "…She knows you used to have feelings for her, right?"

A sneaking suspicion sunk in at that reminder. "Are you sure it's Sara you don't trust…or me?"

"No! Of course, I trust you, Mikey! I trust you with my life! But, you've gotta admit, her story seems kinda weird. She's really close with her mother, right? So, why not go home and live with her folks for a bit while she figures out how she's going to go about raising the kid? I doubt they'd pressure her to figure it out quickly. So, why come to New York instead? Why crash with an old friend who used to have a thing for her?"

"Well, maybe they disapprove?" Michelangelo suggested with a shrug, munching on his own popcorn. "I know some people can be weirdly unsupportive about that kind of thing. Maybe she was worried about backlash from her mom, and didn't want to deal with that kind of stress before the baby's born?"

"In today's society, that's kind of a stretch, hon." Woody retorted, not buying the possible scenario. "Especially if they're as close as she's implied to you in the past."

"I don't get why this is such a big deal to you," the turtle said quietly in genuine puzzlement. He, too, glanced around the dimly lit cinema to make sure they were still alone for the time being. Feeling a little silly as he did so, even though it had become habit for him to do whenever the couple spent time together in public.

"Why are you so determined to villainize her over this?" He didn't want to argue, but he wasn't going to sit there and just let his boyfriend trash talk Sara like this without expressing his disapproval in her defense. "She's my friend, and my friends are family, and if any of them ever need help then I would do everything in my power to give them a hand! That includes you too, you know!"

"I know, babe," Woody replied with a warm smile. It smoothly replaced the suspicion that had been on his face a moment before. "That's one of the things I love most about you."

The cinema advertisements stopped playing on the screen ahead of them, snagging their mutual attention, and the lights above them dimmed the rest of the way to black. Other movie patrons began strolling blindly into the cinema as the rating for the first preview appeared before them, and the couple let their discussion end there. Getting more comfortable in their seats, chewing their popcorn as quietly as possible, as they watched on.

* * *

 

**Wednesday February 15th 2023**

Sara sat on the long couch in the main room's pit, watching Michelangelo as he painted his picture.

She had observed, in her short time living with him, that what he painted was a reflection of his current mood. Beautiful, fluffy-clouded skies, or meadows full of wildflowers, were the product of his sunny disposition, and were usually worked on if he was in a slump with his writing. It was meant to be a pleasant distraction while his mind went into brainstorming autopilot over how to shake off his latest writer's block. Dark storm clouds, and frightfully wild seas, on the other hand, usually meant he was upset about something.

"What's got you down in the dumps, Mikey?"

He blinked, pausing for a fraction of a second, but continued to stroke the paintbrush against the canvas. "Nothing's got me in the dumps."

"So why are you working on a hurricane painting," she asked innocently. "It's beautiful so far, in case you were wondering."

"Thanks."

When he realized that she was still staring at him, waiting for a real answer to her inquiry, he slouched with a resigned sigh. Putting the paintbrush and paint palette down on the old bedsheet-covered stool he had placed next to the easel, he wiped his hands off with a damp towel as he turned to face her fully. "Okay, fine, something is bugging me a little. I guess."

"Your boyfriend doesn't like me much, does he?"

"Nope, and it's driving me crazy! I want all my friends and family to like each other, and he's throwing a big old monkey wrench into that by not getting with the program!" Michelangelo groaned with frustration and flopped down onto the couch next to her. "I was hoping, after getting used to seeing you here, that he'd drop his reservations over you and try to get to know you better. But, it's still no dice I guess!"

"I don't mind, honestly." Sara reassured him. "He's not being a dick to me or anything like that, so don't worry about my feelings being hurt by his lack of love for me. Okay?"

" _It's why he's hellbent on disliking you that bothers me_." He thought to himself, not having the heart to say so out loud. The look on his face must have betrayed an inkling of what was running through his head, though, because he saw a speculative expression quickly come across hers after a moment before she blurted out what was on her mind.

"Does he view me as, like, a threat or something?"

It wasn't completely off the mark. "I guess…even though I still don't understand why he would."

His reply was vaguely worded, but seemed to satisfy her suspicions. Then anger flickered across her features. Which, naturally, brought on of a wave of panic as he worried she had figured it out.

"He knows he's got nothing to worry about, right?" Sara fired off excitedly. Her heated tone was extremely defensive, and her eyes begged for him to understand that what she was saying was the truth. "I'd never deliberately go after a guy who was already involved with someone else. And besides, he's crazy if he thinks you'd ever cheat on him!"

Mikey hadn't thought of it that way before, but now that the idea had been planted in his head… "Oh! Oh, okay! It makes so much more sense now!"

Although he did his best to pretend to be, he wasn't oblivious to Woody's jealously. He had first noticed it the night he had reunited with April, although at the time he had been baffled by his boyfriend's behavior. And the gloomy, possessive attitude had flared up a few more times since then whenever Mikey was chatting with anyone whose relationship status was a mystery in the moment the conversation was occurring.

"I was kinda hoping he'd get over that once we starting having an open relationship." He remarked thoughtlessly. Realizing, too little too late, his slip of the tongue. He almost laughed when he glanced over and saw the look on her face.

"Um, what?" Her shocked and baffled expression shifted into one of utter excitement. "Does this mean you and I can have a little fun together? After the baby's born, and I lose the baby belly, of course!"

"What? No!"

"But, you just said…"

"Well, it's not really like that for me, personally." Michelangelo admit apologetically, feeling bad when he saw her blatant disappointment. "I still feel the same way I did back when you and I talked about this after we left Alex's retirement party."

"But…what?..." Sara remained completely confused for a moment longer, and then got angry again. "Okay, let me get this straight…You're in an open relationship with Woody, but you don't play in the dating pool yourself. But he does."

"That just about sums it up."

"And you're cool with that?"

"I'm the one who suggested it."

"But…you're not benefiting from it, so how…?"

They were stumbling dangerously close to TMI territory, and Michelangelo couldn't help feeling the nagging fact that Woody wouldn't be thrilled about him discussing the inner workings of their relationship like this with a girl that Woody was determined not to like. "I am, in my own way…and that's all I'm going to say about it. Let's drop the topic, okay?"

Sara looked like she wanted to press the issue further, clearly not agreeing with it and wanting to know more. But, with a resigned sigh of her own, she rolled her eyes and playfully smirked at him. "Alright, sweetie. I'll drop it."

He believed her. And she ended up honoring that belief. Never mentioning the odd arrangement of Mikey's relationship with Woody ever again for the remainder of her pregnancy.

* * *

 

** Sunday February 26th, 2023 **

Michelangelo was already wide awake, thanks to insomnia, when he heard the painful cry from down the hall. And he bolted from his bed in an instant. Rushing over to the room that his friend was staying in, and switching on the light once he reached her door. "Sara?"

"On my god, this fucking hurts! Mikey, my water just broke!"

She didn't need to say anything else. He immediately crossed the bedroom, scooped her up into his strong arms, and carried her out of the Lair. Stopping along the way to drape her in a couple of thick, warm blankets, before bringing her out into the tunnels. Almost forgetting, but realizing it just in time, to make sure Klunk and Spike were both safe inside the Lair before he locked the door behind him.

"You don't have to take me to the hospital, Mikey!" Sara insisted with a wince of pain. "You could call Jacob, or his grandfather in the community, and they could deliver my baby, right?"

The mutant couldn't help thinking of Splinter's lifeless body on the kitchen floor in that moment. Remembering, too clearly, how long it would have taken Vincent to bring Jacob's grandfather if he had waited for the help, and how that hesitation to leave the Lair, if only for a moment, may have cost his father his life.

"Nope," Michelangelo barked in a tone that signified that he was not to be argued with. "I'm not taking the chance!"

He bolted through the abandoned subway tunnels, and then through the ones that connected over to the community's tunnels. He was in a rush, but he wasn't going to take a chance cutting through any of the sewer tunnels, despite the time he might be saving if he did. Not with her water broken already.

Her wails of agony, spaced closer and closer together every time they happened, and attempts to do the breathing she had been taught to do in her classes, alerted him to the very clear fact that they were not going to make it to the hospital in time for the birth.

So, he made a decision.

Once Mikey pushed through the doorway into Jacob's apartment building, he didn't hesitate to rush up the stairs to his old friend's quarters. "Wakey, wakey, Jakey!" He hollered, pounding his free fist against the flimsy wooden door. "Get your butt out of bed, because my friend's about to give birth in your hallway!"

A sleepy Dr. Chandler opened his door a few seconds later. Waking up in a sobering manner when he drank in the sight before him, and ushering the two into his apartment. "Okay, Mom, I need you to listen to me…"

The next few minutes were terrifying to the inexperienced Michelangelo. But once it was all over, at eleven fifty-seven in the evening, when he heard the baby's first cry of life and Sara's tearful cries of joy, he finally let himself relax a little. Peeking over Jacob's shoulder, he took in the wondrous sight before him. A mother, exhausted but very much in good health, cradling the beautiful newborn in her arms.

"Mikey," Sara whispered hoarsely. A tired yet bright smile was plastered on her face as she looked up at him. Her bangs, very much like the infant's hair, clung damply to her head thanks to the strain of her ordeal. "Look at her. Isn't she beautiful?"

"Yes," he whispered back with a smile of his own. He was completely and utterly in awe of the beautiful baby girl. For a moment, the infant's squinted-shut eyes blinked open. Her sky-blue eyes, matching his perfectly, locked with his own. His heart soared.

"What's her name, Mikey?"

Michelangelo smiled with radiant affection as he watched the baby's eyes close again sleepily. "Renet….her name's Renet."

"Will you be her father?"

Jacob was still on the phone, barking orders to the hospital as Mikey sank softly to his knees beside Sara and her newborn baby. Gently brushing his fingertips against the infant's light mop of hair, the mutant turtle felt his heart melt at the sound of the little one's content sigh in response to the action.

"Welcome to the world, Renet."


	19. To Everything There Is A Season

**Thursday March 2nd, 2023**

Michelangelo arrived early, just as the sun disappeared behind a blanket of soft, gray clouds.

Lingering outside the little café that Woody had suggested they meet at, he slowly paced back and forth beside the entryway in an absentminded manner. With one earbud in, keeping the other one out so he could hear if anyone hollered for his attention, he passed the time by listening to a podcast that Mitsu and Ken had highly recommended to him. 'The Space Above Us' normally would have ensnared his attention and held it for the duration of the episode, but not today. His mind was too muddled with anxious thoughts to really absorb much of what he was listening to.

The episode concluded a little over fifteen minutes later, but there was no sign of his boyfriend.

Popping the jack out and putting the earbuds away in his coat pocket, Mikey glanced up and down the sidewalk on his side of the street in the hopes of catching sight of the man. Then, he scanned the sidewalk across from him. Woody was still nowhere to be seen.

A peek through the café's window revealed that he wasn't waiting inside already either.

" _I didn't goof up the meet up time, did I?_ "

Panicked, he switched the phone back over to the messenger app and pulled up the text he had gotten that morning. Quickly looking it over again before double checking the date and time on the home screen. He was relieved to find that he hadn't misread the time and place for their rendezvous. Woody was simply running late. Either that, or he was still angry with Mikey and was standing him up.

"Hey!" Came a shout to his left.

A relieved smile flickered to Michelangelo's face when he followed the sound of the voice to see his boyfriend approaching him, looking very apologetic for the delay. "Hey back, man!"

After sharing a stiff hug, they made their way inside.

A light snowfall cascaded softy down onto the city as the pair took their seats in the little café. Their table stood right next to the window, giving them a pretty view of nature at her finest. It was a pleasant distraction as they waited for their server, and it continued to hold their attention even after they placed their orders.

It wasn't until the beverages and pastries were served that the silence between them was broken.

"How's the baby? Her name's…Renee', right?"

"It's Renet," Mikey softly corrected his boyfriend, smiling fondly at the thought of the newborn. "And she's doing well. Both of them are."

Nodding his head, Woody took a sip of his latte. "I'm glad to hear that…"

The silence resumed. It creeped on the edge of being awkward as they both tried to come up with the gentlest way to break the ice between them, and continue the conversation now that it had been started. They both knew why they were there. It was a delicate topic, and neither of them wanted it to turn ugly if it could be avoided.

Neither of them wanted a repeat of what had happened between them at the hospital four days ago.

"I'm sorry," Michelangelo finally blurt out.

Picking at the sugar-sprinkled apple pastry on his plate, he pulled off the loose flakes and popped them into his mouth. His eyes flickered up to lock with Woody's, who just stared back at him without comment. "You know, about not talking to you first about the baby and my agreeing to be her dad…I was tired, and excited, and just so happy about it that I didn't think about how you'd feel."

He glanced out the window, and caught a glimpse of their faint reflections in the glass. He couldn't help hanging his head in shame at the sight of how hurt the man sitting across from him looked. Just like he had been during their last encounter. "You're right, I was being selfish. I treated you like an afterthought….and I'm sorry for it."

Woody frowned, nodding slightly. Seeking a distraction of his own, he removed his glasses to needlessly clean them off. "Apology accepted." He coughed nervously, keeping his attention solely on the frames held in his hand as he worked. "I was angry, I won't deny it…but after I calmed down a bit, I did come to realize that you didn't mean to disregard my feelings on the matter."

He stopped polishing the lenses, and put the cloth he was using away in his breast pocket. "You're not the type to be willfully hurtful…that would be me."

"Woody, no-"

"It's okay," the man raised a hand to signal for silence. He wanted to say his piece. After three days spent thinking about the argument they had had at the hospital in the early hours of February 27th, he knew that he played a much larger role than he originally wanted to admit to in the erosion of their relationship. "You were right too, you know."

A conflicted look crossed Michelangelo's face. He had thought a lot about their argument as well before coming to the café that afternoon. He had accepted the fact that, despite his best efforts to improve upon his occasional flightiness and impulsive nature, he had still failed to meet the expectations of his boyfriend. If they were on the cusp of breaking up, as he suspected they were, then he couldn't help feeling like it was ultimately his fault.

"What do you mean?" Mikey asked hesitantly, wary of igniting an angry response. "I…well, I'm the one who kept screwing this up, right? I didn't mean to! I never did, but-"

"It's okay," Woody repeated softly. Looking guilty now as he put his glasses back on and reached across the table to grasp the mutant's hand.

The slightly intimate public display of affection surprised Michelangelo. Even in the movie theater, when they were alone waiting for the previews to start, Woody was often reluctant to hold hands out of fear of what people might think if they suddenly passed by the couple.

"A while ago…" he continued, "I think it was New Year's Eve…well, you snapped at me. Remember?"

Michelangelo did remember. Personally, he didn't think it was one of his finest moments. He had let his annoyance and anger get the best of him that night, which bothered him. He hated it when he lost control like that and lashed out. It clashed with his people-pleasing, peacekeeper attitude. "I shouldn't have gotten pissy with you. I know you meant well, and were just trying to support me, and-"

"Aw, hell, Mikester," Woody exclaimed suddenly, gently squeezing Mikey's hand beneath his own. "I'm sorry for making you feel like you are right now! Us, falling apart the way we've been…that's not your fault!" He squinted his eyes in bafflement at the confusion he got in response, and pulled his hand away slowly. Stammering for a moment to summon up the words he knew he needed to say. "When you snapped at me that night, about how I act more like a bossy older sibling than your boyfriend…you weren't wrong."

"I wasn't really being fair though," Mikey tried to insist. He was eager to soothe Woody's guilt, and own up to his own flaws that contributed to the way things had turned sour between them, but he couldn't help being a little happy at the same time over Woody's admission. It was gratifying, finally receiving a little bit of validation for his pent-up frustrations and resentments over how his boyfriend tended to treat him. "I know you don't mean to be…harsh."

"Well," the man snorted bitterly, "considering how much I hated seeing my dad pull that kind of shit on my mother growing up…you'd think I wouldn't turn around and do it myself years later to someone I care about." He pointed a finger challengingly at the mutant sitting across from him. "Don't defend me on this. Admit it, the way I've acted gets to you!"

"Okay, sure, it bugs me when you get like that," Michelangelo reluctantly acknowledged as he began picking at his pastry again. The buried negative emotions stirred to life under the surface with that confession, but he didn't shove them back down this time. Now that he was being encouraged to speak up about it, he was feeling brave enough to let some of it out. "…and also, when you shit on the stuff I'm passionate about, and act like I'm being an idiot for having dreams about how I'd like to see things be someday. I actually really hate it when you do that. A lot!"

"I'm sorry, Mikester."

"Well, yeah. You should be! Because you wouldn't like it if someone did that to you!" He met the man's gaze again, and then reeled back in the anger he let himself have a taste of. "But, again…I know you weren't trying to be a jerk on purpose. I know it came from a well-intentioned place."

"That doesn't make it okay." Woody calmly replied, sipping his latte again as he adjusted his glasses. "You were right when you said I don't support you. Good intentions or not, I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. I could've been supportive of your dreams, and still try to encourage you to explore other options too without being an asshole about it."

"And I could've tried to be better at keeping track of our get togethers, and talk to you first about important stuff that could have a pretty big impact on our relationship; like, say, adopting a baby!" Michelangelo said with a little guilty smile.

The silence settled in between the two of them again, but it wasn't as suffocating as it had been at the beginning of their meeting. The things that needed to be said had finally been unloaded. This time in a softer manner, from a place of mutual enlightenment and respect.

There was an understanding on the horizon now.

Neither of them were ready for it to be spoken aloud yet, so they mutually settled on finishing up the pastries and coffee. Eager to make each moment last as long as they could. Until, finally, the plates and cups before them were empty, and they once again met each other's eyes.

"Shouldn't…shouldn't we try to make this work?" Michelangelo asked as he fidgeted with his napkin. He knew it was futile to pose the question, but he didn't want to look back on this years later and regret not saying anything at all. "Now that we've talked about this…why not start fresh?"

"You've already given our relationship a second try, remember?" Woody pointed out gently. "Most people would dump their significate others over cheating, not suggest having an open relationship to try to solve the problem."

"I really did think it would help," said Mikey quietly. "But…it didn't really. Did it? You still weren't happy."

"Not really, no…but you weren't happy either, were you?"

Michelangelo had been happy once. In those first few weeks, when the relationship was shiny and new. He wished it could have stayed that way forever.

"Mikester, do me a favor. Okay?" Woody tossed a twenty onto the table and stood up, throwing on his winter coat as he stole a quick glance out the window again. When he looked back down at the mutant, his smile was laced with both affection and concern. "Don't let someone walk all over you again, the way I did to you. It's okay to stand up for yourself. It's okay to talk to your partner about the stuff they do that upsets you."

"Do you think we could have saved our relationship if I had?"

"If I had been more respectful of your feelings…then, maybe."

Pushing his chair back so he could stand up and put his own coat on, Mikey took some comfort in knowing that even though they were ending things between them, at least it was on a slightly high note. After the encounter at the hospital, when Woody wouldn't return his calls or texts, he had anxiously worried that the ugly and bitter words they had tossed at each other in that hallway would be the last words they'd ever exchange.

"I'm glad we did this," he remarked as he buttoned up his coat.

Nodding his head in agreement, Woody turned to leave. "Me too."

Sunlight peeked through the clouds as the pair exited the quaint little café. They looked at each other, sharing a faint smile, and then went their separate ways. No longer lovers, but not quite bitter exs either.

Perhaps, in time, they could begin to become friends again.

* * *

 

"How did it go?" Sara asked Michelangelo when he returned to the Lair. She watched him shake off his coat before putting it on its place on the rack, and noticed the conflicted expression he had on his face. "Did the two of you kiss and make up?"

Kicking off his boots, the mutant shook his head. "No, we actually broke up."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She reached her arms out, beckoning him to the couch she was sprawled on for a hug. When they pulled apart, she scooted over to give him space to sit down. "How are ya holding up?"

"I feel…okay, I guess?" Mikey sat back, sinking heavily into the plush cushion behind him. "I kinda felt like this was inevitable to be honest."

"Because of the blow out at the hospital?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Well…for a while before that, actually. The fight was just kinda, I dunno, the last straw I guess." The conflicted look, mingled with guilt, returned to his face. "Am I an asshole for feeling relieved that it's over?"

"Uh, no! Mikey, you're the literal definition of a cinnamon roll, okay?" Sara replied with a good-humored chuckle. "I'm pretty sure it's impossible for you to be an asshole."

Michelangelo scoffed in disagreement. He was pretty sure that if his brothers were alive to hear that, they would have laughed and rolled their eyes at her declaration. "Yeah…that's so not true."

His companion giggled in response, her brows raised as she shot him an amused look. "Mikey, have you met you?"

With a huff, Michelangelo shot an exasperated look back at her.

It bothered him, the way his friends and peers tended to put him on a pedestal of purity. As if he could do no wrong in their eyes.

It was true that he embraced positivity, was a peacekeeper, and tried to make the best out a bad situation whenever he could. It was true that he went out of his way to be nice to nearly everyone he met, liked helping people out whenever he could, and loved making people smile. And it was also true that he tended to give nearly everyone he encountered the benefit of the doubt, even if others didn't think it was deserved.

But that didn't make him perfect.

Sure, he had taken great strides over the years to be more mindful of his actions, and of their possible consequences. But despite those efforts, he still made his fair share of thoughtless mistakes, wrong choices, and selfish decisions over the years too. He was flawed, just like everyone else in the world around him.

Having people shower him with hurrahs for his good deeds was flattering, he couldn't deny that; after spending his childhood and early teenage years having them overlooked as he was insulted and put down instead, it was only natural that he'd soak in the positive attention whenever it came his way. The problem was, it was equally uncomfortable to listen to as well. Because whenever he stumbled, making a mistake or doing something thoughtless, those gold star praises came back to haunt him. His anxiety would turn it around on him, cutting into him like a double-edged sword, and he'd always think to himself: Oh boy, the curtain has fallen now. See, it was a lie all along!

"It's cool that you think I'm so awesome," Mikey finally said after a moment. Shaking his head in a dismissive manner. "…but, like I said, I'm really, really not."

Sara was tempted to say otherwise, but sensed it wasn't going to do her any good. So, she backed off. Their debate would be a conversation for another day.

"I still don't believe it's possible, but okay. Whatever you say, cutie." She said instead with a shrug, bringing her thoughts back to the original topic at hand. "Anyway…if you're relieved that your relationship with Woody is over, then it's probably a good thing you two finally called it quits."

"I know, but still…," Mikey frowned.

Realizing he was looking for reassurance that was a little more concrete, the young woman scrambled to think of something to say to ease his conflicted conscience.

"Okay. So, I'm no expert on romantic entanglements, but I think I can still issue out some sage insight here." Shifting her position so she could face him more comfortably, she continued. "Many moons ago, baby me was stuck in a similar situation with an old friend once."

Michelangelo perked up. "Oh, yeah?"

"Uh huh. This chick I used to hang out with when I was a teenager, Beth, had been my best friend since the sixth grade." Sara began to explain as she leaned over the bassinet she had set up beside the couch to check on her baby. "We used to be really tight, but as high school passed us by we started drifting. Bethy changed a lot once we hit high school. Got meaner, and real cynical. But I turned a bit of a blind eye to it because we still considered ourselves besties, and I didn't want to rock the boat and lose that bond we shared."

Beside her, Mikey nodded sympathetically. Her tale of teenage woe definitely resonated with the mutant.

"Fast forward a couple of years, and we've graduated high school. Entering the big bad world of adulthood! Like I said, I couldn't wait to get out of that town and hit the road. So, I was quick to get a job so I could start saving up money. Beth, though, well she wasn't motivated to do anything. She didn't want to go to college or a technical school, but she didn't want to go out and get a job either. So, she wasted her days at home. Whenever we hung out, I was the one who instigated it. But she never wanted to go anywhere; she was more interested in just watching obnoxious web shows that I didn't appreciate the humor of, or playing videogames that I wasn't into while I just kinda…sat there in her living room watching her play while she pretty much ignored me."

Sara sighed regretfully, reliving those old frustrations. A part of her still missed the nice girl she had met during that week she spent at the educational camp when she was twelve. For a moment, she wondered if her old friend ever missed her too.

"So, what happened?" Mikey prompted, curious to know what finally drove the two friends apart.

"Nothing," she replied with a shrug. "She did nothing, while I just kept going through the motions on my end until everything finally reached the boiling point for me. I was paying my credit card bill one day when it dawned on me how one-sided our friendship had become over the years. Not to mention, what a crappy friend she was to me after we hit high school. She used to make fun of the shows I liked, and trash talked me on her blog a couple of times even though she knew I'd read it. She didn't care if she hurt my feelings."

Sara gave the mutant beside her a knowing look. "Sound familiar?"

"A little, I suppose." Michelangelo replied softly. "Except Woody was trying to be supportive in his own way, and did care if he hurt my feelings. This friend of yours just sounds like a jerk."

"A troll is more like it," Sara said harshly. She decided to keep her opinion of Woody to herself. "Anyway, I realized that I was moving forward with my life, that I didn't really like hanging out with her that much anymore, and that I didn't really care if she kept up with me or not…So, I deleted my IM accounts, which I had only used just to chat with her online, and blocked her email."

It still made Sara wince a little, thinking back on how she had abruptly cut ties with her old best friend. She didn't linger on feeling guilty for long, all because of one important detail...

"We did most of our communicating online after graduating, but we still talked on the phone from time to time too. She had my phone number. So, when she inevitably noticed my accounts were gone, she could have picked up the phone to call and see what was up…I continued living with my folks for a year and a half after that before hitting the road, and Beth never called once."

"Wow," Mikey murmured. He couldn't help feeling that the way she had handled the situation was somewhat cold-hearted, but the fact that Beth didn't seem to care changed his mind a little. "That kinda shows how much she valued your friendship, huh?"

Sara nodded in agreement. "That's how I took it too."

Renet began to fuss, distracting both of her parents for a moment. Her mother picked her up and began to breastfeed her.

"I won't deny the fact that I was a little bit relieved after some time passed and Beth never contacted me," continued Sarah. "Partially because I dreaded the possible confrontation if she had caught on to the fact that it was deliberate on my part to cut ties with her, but I was also worried about it going the other way too. I knew, if she had reached out questioning what was going on, that I might have pretended it was an innocent mix up and stepped back into that role of being friends with her."

She sighed, her eyes were far away for a moment as she remembered the two different versions of the girl she once knew. "That wouldn't have been good for either one of us. So, yeah, I was relieved, and then I felt guilty about it, but at the end of the day…it was the right choice to make. And now it doesn't bother me anymore."

Her confession brought some comfort to Michelangelo, and he smiled gratefully. "Thank you for telling me that."

She smiled back, more than happy to ease his thoughts. "So…what are you going to do now?"

"I'm not interested in dating anytime soon, if that's what you mean." The past few months had been stressful on him. Emotionally draining. Mikey was more than happy to stay single for a while. He needed time to heal from the failed relationship, but he also wanted to reflect more on what had gone wrong between him and Woody.

He wasn't ready to dive head first into anything new yet, and only time would tell if he ever would be.

Renet cooed in her mother's arms, and she gave the mutant a delighted giggle when she noticed him looking at her. He grinned back, and a feeling of warmth swiftly overtook the bittersweet feeling he had been hazily drifting in and out of since he parted ways with Woody at the café.

"I'd rather focus on being a good dad to this little ray of sunshine here." Michelangelo said softly, not once regretting his decision to adopt the baby as his own. "Beyond that, well…que sera sera."

Prompted by Sara's smile and the infant's garbled sounds of joy, he took little Renet up in his arms and cradled her. Singing the lines he could remember from the old Doris Day song as he strode over to coat rack by the door to take something out of his pocket. Presenting the stuffed bunny he had bought on his way home to the baby.

"Quueee seraaa seraaaa. Whatever will be, will beee. The future is ours to seeee. Que sera seraaaa. What will be, will beee."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Mikey/Woody fans (I ship them in the comics too, honest!), but these two weren't mean to be endgame unfortunately.
> 
> But they will remain friends!
> 
> Friendly reminder to all you wonderful readers out there that I'm an author who really enjoys getting feedback (kudos, a quick thought, a long review, a jumbled mess from smashing the keyboard, emojis, reaction pictures or gifs-I am not picky!)
> 
> So, I'd really appreciate it if you could take the time to drop a line and let me know what you think of this story. 
> 
> Thank you! :)


	20. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**Wednesday March 8th, 2023**

Michelangelo hated this time of year. Whenever the anniversary approached his back seemed to ache more, and he swore that his old scars tingled as if they were freshly healing cracks and wounds. Places and things that reminded him of his time spent with the Kraang were best avoided at all costs, or else he'd likely have a bad panic attack. And the nightmares? Well, the nightmares were just plain unbearable.

Letting out a shaky sigh, having just woken up from a particularly gruesome one, Mikey threw the blankets off of himself and got up. He automatically snatched up the necklace that hung on the nail protruding from the shelf above his bed and put it on. Like his bandanas, to which this morning he threw on a celestial-patterned one, he wore it at all times when he was awake. They were extensions of himself, he supposed he might even think of them as comfort items, and he felt naked without them on.

After throwing on his old bathrobe to ward off the chill in the air, he found himself unable to shake the suffocating panic he had awoken with. So, he picked up the small bottle he kept on top of the shelf and dripped a few drops of the remedy it contained onto his tongue. Much to his relief, the holistic treatment accomplished its goal fairly quickly. The anxious thoughts that plagued him became more muffled as his logic reasoned with him that it was all in his head.

" _The Kraang are gone, and everybody's fine…_ "

His eyes wandered to his open bedroom door. In the darkness of the hallway he could barely see the faint light emanating from the room across from his. He tried to shake off the memory of his nightmares, but the what ifs still needled at him. Some visual reassurances were in order if he was going to be able to put his worries completely to rest.

Wandering out of his room, he crossed the hall to hover in the doorway of the guest room that Sara had claimed for herself and the baby. He immediately felt a little more at ease when his eyes adjusted to the dim light of the room's salt lamp, which was situated between the bed and the crib, and he made out the silhouettes of their sleeping figures. Tilting his head slightly, listening carefully, he smiled at the faint sounds of their steady breaths.

They were alive and well.

Satisfied, Michelangelo made a beeline to the kitchen next. Along the way, he snatched up his cell phone from where it had been discarded on the couch in the pit. Shooting one quick text to April, and then one to his sister, he automatically kept on scrolling through his contact list after that. Searching for one last name.

He knew there was no real reason for his worries, but they nagged at him regardless until his eyes finally fell on the name of the last person who had died horribly in his nightmares. Of course, upon locating it, he found himself hesitating to click on the man's name. Suddenly feeling foolish for his concern.

Would it be weird, texting Woody to check in on him?

Mikey sent the text anyway as he shuffled into the kitchen. Just because they broke up recently, didn't mean he had to pretend he didn't care about the guy anymore. He could handle a possible moment of awkwardness between them if it arose, that was better than not knowing for sure if his ex was okay or not.

One notification bleep at a time, he received three text messages back. Each held assurances that everything was fine, and no questions were asked despite the hour. With those final, solid verifications that all was well clearly presented before him, the mutant finally let himself relax completely.

Yawning, but not eager to go back to sleep anytime soon, Michelangelo pulled down a mug and the container of instant coffee from the cupboard by the stove. Deciding that if he was going to stay awake, he might as well try to do a little bit of writing while he was at it. He had been stuck in a slump lately; but who knows, maybe a little PTSD-fueled insomnia was what his muse needed to get the ball rolling again. It was worth a shot at least.

In a matter of minutes, he was back in his room and reviewing where he had left off a few months ago when the writer's block had struck. Within the hour, he was quietly slipping back out into the hall to return to the kitchen for a second cup of coffee. He didn't get far.

The tell-tale signs of Renet stirring in her crib halted his tipping toes, and he paused to listen.

" _To sleep or not to sleep, eh, little one_?" He thought as he waited on the verdict. Her tiny dissatisfied murmurings indicated the latter, which prompted him to glide into the bedroom and scoop her up in his arms. Hoping to spare her tired mother's sleep from being disturbed, he carried the baby out into the hall. "You wanna stay up and hang out with your daddy, huh?"

Michelangelo retrieved the second cup of coffee he had originally ventured out for, and returned to his sleeping quarters with Renet in tow. Putting his mug aside on the desk he had set up in the corner, he crossed the room and sat on the edge of his bed. Gazing fondly down at the baby, he gently rocked her in his arms in the hopes of lulling her back to sleep. She squinted back up at him with growing alertness instead of the fatigue he was hoping for.

" _I guess she really is a night owl._ "

She reached up and took a firm grasp of the tri-colored braided necklace he was wearing, perking up and giggling as she tugged on it. Her chubby fingers grazed the top of the pendant that it carried, and he realized that she was trying to get a better look at it.

"Oh, you like that?" Michelangelo looped the necklace over his head and handed it over to the infant to play with, watching with charmed amusement as she placed it in her mouth to suck on. "I found some old bandanas when I was going through your Grandpa's stuff after he died. Those were your uncles' colors, and I thought it would be nice to keep a part of them with me wherever I go."

He thumbed the pendant that hung off of the makeshift necklace, and his smile shifted, becoming somewhat bittersweet. While the lotus symbol was meant to be the Hamato family crest, he would always associate it solely with his late father. "He would have loved you just as much as I do…I really wish he was here to meet you and little Yoshi."

Renet giggled as she held the pendant, and she turned her head toward the empty doorway. Her eyes were twinkling as she reached out one tiny outstretched hand towards the empty space there, as if someone stood within it and she was delighted to see them.

The mutant followed her gaze, smiling brighter at her cheerful noises, and he raised a brow with curious wonder. There was a faint note of peppermint in the air that hadn't been there before, and the room somehow seemed a little bit brighter. Warmer, even.

"Did I speak too soon, Dad?"

Encouraged by Splinter's possible presence, Mikey readjusted on the bed. He cradled Renet in his arms, making sure she was bundled up warm and comfortable in her blanket as he quietly began to recollect to her his life story. Once he started, he couldn't stop.

As the hour passed by, he enthusiastically told her tales of her grandfather and uncles. Starting off with the tragic romance of Yoshi and Tang Shen, how Splinter and the four brothers had been mutated, and the crazy adventures the siblings had gotten caught up in shortly after their fifteenth mutation day in the autumn of 2012. His eyes grew misty as he spoke of Splinter's wisdom, Leonardo's leadership, Raphael's passion, and Donatello's brilliance; sharing with her his fondest memories of each of them.

"They'd love you too," Michelangelo told her softly as he looked down at her sleepy face, knowing she'd be out like a light any moment now. He sighed, feeling a little droopy-eyed himself, as he reflected on his brothers.

"Leo would probably mother-hen you, since he used to do that to all of us. Even your Auntie Karai, when we were on the same side of the fight anyway!" He couldn't help chuckling a little as he thought about it. "Oh man, that used to really grind Raph's gears! It didn't bother me though, because I knew Leo meant well. He just wanted to keep us safe."

Mikey could relate to that feeling so much more now that he had a daughter to look after. He would move heaven and earth to keep her safe. "...I wish the three of us weren't so difficult with him during our routine patrols. That wasn't fair on him when all he was trying to do was make sure we didn't get caught or hurt."

Recalling how Leo had tried, and thankfully failed, to channel Captain Ryan during their early trips topside made him grin. "Oh, and he'd probably try and convert you into becoming a Space Heroes nut like him. That was his absolute favorite show, and he was so obsessed with it. He was always trying to get the rest of us to binge-watch it with him, even though the others used to nitpick the heck out of it whenever we did."

His brainy brother, who always complained about how bad the science on Space Heroes was, came to Michelangelo's mind next in a flash.

"Donnie would always get worked up watching that show. It drove him nuts when movies or tv shows didn't do their research, and then he'd drive the rest of us nuts by complaining about the lack of accuracy for hours after we'd watched whatever it was that set him off in the first place." Mikey couldn't blame his brother too much for that; after all, he had ranted for hours to Raphael about how angry the season six finale of Supernatural had made him.

When you are passionate about something, it is only natural that you would want to seek out someone else to share that passion with. Donatello was enamored with science, and, like Leo with Space Heroes, he would take every opportunity he'd find to express it. Even if it was largely unappreciated.

Michelangelo couldn't help but feel frustrated as he remembered, quite clearly, the way their elder brothers didn't even try to humor the brainy turtle when he got excited about something they couldn't understand. "It was so unfair, the way they used to blow Dee off! I mean, I guess Leo would try to listen if he knew it was relevant to a mission of ours, but Raph wouldn't even pretend to care. At least, that's how it always came across to me. So, it wouldn't surprise me if Donnie had picked up on that too."

Renet yawned and nestled deeper into the blankets bundled around her. The sandman had come at last, although Mikey decided to wait before doing anything about it. Once he was certain that she was in a deep enough sleep to move her without disturbing her, then he would return her to the comforts of her crib.

"I listened to what he had to say," he finally said in a whisper. "I didn't always get it, no matter how badly I wanted to, but sometimes I did. It would just take a while for my brain to let it all sink in until that little lightbulb went off for me, that's all. I really did love listening to him ramble away about his science-y stuff. It was always really cool and interesting to me, and I miss hearing him talk about that stuff and seeing how animated he'd be when he was in the zone."

A guilty, sad smile flickered to Michelangelo's face. It suddenly struck him how truly lonely his brother must have felt. "None of us were on the same level as him. I mean, I can totally relate to the whole: no-one-gets-how-my-brain-works thing, but still…my experience with that wasn't the same as his. Not really. And even though I showed a genuine interest in some of the science-y stuff he was passionate about, and he at least had Mouse to bounce off of for his inventions…I feel like that probably wasn't really satisfying enough for him intellectually. Ya know? Donnie needed someone around that was really on the same page as him the whole way, and I feel so bad that he never got the chance to connect with someone like that before he died."

"… _hurry up and get out of here, little brother! Go! Now!_ "

"And then, there's Raph..."

Mikey glanced down at the baby in his arms. Her sleep had deepened from the looks of it, and she didn't stir when he sat up a little straighter on the bed. He decided to take that as a sign.

"Storytime's over, I guess." He remarked quietly, stifling a yawn as he spoke. Cautiously, while continuing to hold her cradled in his arms, he slid off the bed. Returning to the guest room that he had snatched her from, he placed her back into the crib. Making sure before he left that she was in a safe position, he gently reclaimed his necklace from her. Leaving the room just as quietly as he had entered it.

When he returned to his own room, he hung his hand-made necklace up again from its nail above his bed. His eyes flickered across the shelf's contents, and then stopped. A particular happy memory hit him in that moment, and he plucked the item that had triggered it off of the shelf and carried it over to the guest room.

Leaning over Renet's crib once more, he bent down and kissed her on the head. "Here's the thing about your Uncle Raphie…", he whispered, "…he was kind of a jerk sometimes, but a big softie too when he let his walls down." Mikey looked fondly at the stuffed toy in his hands, still one of his most prized possessions, and he drank in every detail. The worn and faded fur, the stiches and duct tape that he had administered after the incident with Leatherhead, until his eyes finally landed on its tag. Scrawled on it, in long-ago faded marker, was a message that still read:  _ **For Mikey, love Raph**_.

"Raphie Jr. here has been with me through some rough times; protecting me when I was little from imaginary monsters, just like my brother tried to protect me from the real-life ones when we were older…" Michelangelo got a little misty eyed as he spoke, and he leaned down again. Placing his ancient teddy bear into the crib beside his daughter. "He'll always protect you too…sleep tight, my sunshine child."

With that, he quietly left the guest room.

When he crawled under the blankets of his own bed again, he felt a little less weary of sleep than he had been when he had first woken up. He remembered how the stuffed bear had acted as a dreamcatcher of sorts for him as a child, and smiled. With a yawn, he rolled over onto his side and let his eyes flutter shut. Sinking back into the depths of sleep once more.

* * *

**Friday April 14, 2023**

The switch clicked loudly as it was flipped upward, stiff from years of disuse. The light at the center of the room flickered once, then a second time, and finally settled. It hummed faintly as it blanketed the room in a dim glow, acting almost like a spotlight from its perch above the old vehicle near the center of the cramped garage.

"Tada," cheered Michelangelo as he knelt down on one knee before the Shellraiser and waved his hands dramatically at it in a showman-like manner. He smiled over his shoulder at Sara's awed expression. "What do you think?"

"Is that…is that a train car?"

Brimming with excitement, Mikey nodded. "It used to be until Donnie got his mitts on it!"

He grabbed her free hand and led her over to the vehicle. Prying open the doors, flicking on the internal lights, and guiding her inside. He sat down in the driver's seat, unintentionally creating a cloud of dust to rise in the process, so she could have more space to stand and get a better look at the interior. "I know it's kind of a cluttered mess right now, but imagine how much space will be in here when I pry all this junk out!"

Sara looked around, and tried to compare the space with what a regular train car looked like. With that mental image in mind, she agreed it would be a lot roomier. "I can see it…" She shifted Renet in her arms to rest against her other shoulder, and looked over at her friend with a perplexed expression on her face. "What do you plan to do with it?"

"Do you remember tiny houses?" Michelangelo asked with an eager grin, strongly suspecting she did.

In his late teens, the tiny house movement had undergone a boom in popularity. It had originally started off as a more minimalist idea; appealing to young adults hoping to lessen their global footprint, as well as to retirees who just wanted to downsize and travel more. Once the concept began to be explored by house hunting programs, it quickly became a fad with young budding families who thought tiny houses were quaint, but who didn't really sit and think about what the reality of living in one would entail. In a few years, the fad fizzled out for the demographic they were never meant for, and these days they were once again curious rarities that one would spot from time to time while driving.

For someone like Sara, they were ideal.

She blinked at him. "You want to move out?"

"Yeah, oh, wait, no!" He had been thinking more and more about that for himself lately, but that wasn't what this was about. "It wouldn't be for me…" He gave her a pointed looked and beamed even more as he watched her mentally connect the dots.

"You'd be making it for me?!"

"Well, yeah! I mean, I know you've got that couch-surfing network you use, and they all sound like rad people, but…wouldn't it be nice to have a place of your own all the time? Just driving around in your own home, without having to worry about overstaying your welcome at someone else's place, or having to deal with a potentially dumpy motel? You'd have so much more freedom with this!"

"But, is this even street-legal?" Sara asked, gesturing at the huge vehicle. She was excited and yet cautiously doubtful about the idea at the same time. "It's so big!"

"Trust me, my brainy bro covered all his bases," assured Michelangelo as he gave her a thumbs up. Although, he couldn't help cringing as he thought back on the many joyrides he had taken with his brothers in the converted vehicle back in the day. Even more so when he thought about the huge street fights they had gotten caught up in back then too. It still amazed him that they never attracted the attention of the cops with their antics. "After Kenshin tunes it up for me, and Slash and Mouse help me get the inside just right, she'll be the perfect on-the-road home for you!"

"Mikey…" Sara was at a loss for words. "It's really, really sweet of you to want to do this for me…"

"You'll be safer in this than you would be driving your car, and you'd definitely be safer spending the night in this than you would be staying in a sketchy motel."

"Yes, but it's too much!"

"Psh!"

"Mikey!"

"Sara!" He gave her a rare, stern look. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. "You're my friend, not to mention the mother of my beautiful adopted baby girl, so that makes you family! And if there's anything I can do to provide for my family, to help them out and protect them in any way, then I'm going to do it!"

She shot him back an exasperated look, sighed, and then smiled. "Okay, fine! But I'm going to help pay the expenses-"

"No, you can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because," Mikey whined, "this is a present for you. You're not supposed to pay for your own present! Besides, I'm getting a good deal on the project because the guys are helping me out with it. I mean, yeah, I haven't done the math yet…but I really don't think it's going to be too expensive for me to handle."

"I don't care," Sara said dismissively. It didn't sit right with her, and she wasn't budging until she had her way and satisfied her conscience. "I'm pitching in!"

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you're not."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are! Oh, wait…"

"HA!"

They glared stubbornly at each other, locked in a staring contest of wills. It wasn't long though until their mutual attempts to keep a stern face began to falter. Mikey cracked first, letting out a burst of laughter, and then Sara crumbled a few seconds later into a fit of giggles. Renet, still snuggly rested against her mother's shoulders, perked up at the sound of their amusement and beamed happily up at them. Bouncing eagerly in her mother's embrace, waving her chubby little arms, she started giggling as well. This just made her parents crack up even more.

"Ah, okay," wheezed Mikey as he stood up from the driver's seat. He towered over Sara and the baby like a giant in the cramped space at the front of the vehicle. "We'll split the cost!"

Grinning with victory, Sara offered him her free hand and they shook on it. "Deal!"

They climbed out of the dusty old Shellraiser and stood side by side. Staring at it in silence as they both pondered over the possibilities. It would be a great living space for a single woman once they had finished molding it to their liking.

"Yeah…" Sara sighed happily as they began to walk back to the garage's exit. "I think this is great idea. Honestly, I had thought about it in the beginning, when I was fresh from high school, but they were too expensive for my budget back then so I never did it."

"Do you have any specifics for what you'd like done?" Asked Michelangelo as he switched off the room's light again and stepped aside so the mother and baby could leave first. "I don't want to forget anything and leave you wanting!"

"I'll think about it and give you a wish list." She bumped shoulders with him after he closed and locked the garage door. "I really appreciate this, Mikey."

"Don't think anything of it," he replied, "you're a part of my family. Call my name, and I'll be there no matter what! Besides, it's the least I can do when you gave me the best present anyone could ever ask for!"

Sara looked down at the happy baby in her arms, smiled, and quietly trailed behind Mikey as he led the way back through the old lab.

It was a quick trip through the room. Thanks to the Kraang, Michelangelo dreaded going into his brother's old sanctuary. What was once a fascinating hub of knowledge, was now a minefield of triggers that he'd rather avoid looking at if he could get away with it.

Even though Jacob and Mouse had salvaged a lot of Donatello's equipment and research, they didn't take everything. What was left behind had been doomed to sit in the dark room to collect dust in the years that ticked by after that. It broke Mikey's heart and filled him with shame that he let the space waste away over the years, but he couldn't bear to spent more than a few seconds in the room anymore no matter how hard he tried.

" _I'm so sorry, Donnie_ …"

"When I do finally hit the road again," Sara said suddenly, jolting the mutant out of his melancholy thoughts, "I don't think I should take Renet with me."

Michelangelo nodded, he had been expecting that. Hoping for it, really. It was a relief to know that Sara was on the same page as him on the issue. Although, he suspected that was part of the reason why she had decided to ask him to help her raise the baby in the first place. He had the eagerness, flexibility, and the equally willing help of his friends and loved ones if needed, to raise Renet while her mother travelled. It was the kind of stability that Sara couldn't offer her daughter with the way she lived her life.

Of course, the potential dangers of living on the road had likely played a factor in her decision as well. It had certainly been on his mind, especially after learning about one of the jobs his friend did during her cross-country adventures.

"Tornado season's starting up soon, right?"

"It already has."

Shuddering, Mikey thought back on his one encounter with a tornado. It had been terrifying. "It makes me nervous knowing you're right at the epicenter of all that danger when you go there to take your pictures."

"I always stay a safe enough distance away," Sara reminded him with a reassuring smile. "I've been doing this for years, cutie. I know what I'm doing."

" _And so did my brothers_ …" He wanted to say. Instead, he held his tongue and smiled as if the thought of the danger she willingly got herself into in didn't bother him.

They wandered into the pit and settled down on the couches. Feeling a little anxious for a multitude of reasons, Michelangelo got up and pulled out his painting supplies. "You mind if I just throw some groovy music on while I paint?"

Sara had already positioned herself comfortably against the arm of the long couch, cradling Renet snuggly against her breast in one arm and gearing up to browse the internet on the tablet she had propped against her knee. She leaned her head back and watched as he finished getting his set up ready. "Sure, I don't mind. Groovy's good, right?"

He smiled. "Yeah, groovy's good!"

About a half hour passed before either one of them spoke again.

"Hey, Mikey?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you want to move?" Sara asked, drawing her eyes away from the tiny house blog she had been scrolling through to get ideas from. Her gaze wandered across what she could see of the Lair, she loved the space and couldn't understand why he'd want to give it up. "This is more than enough room for the two of you, and it's free! Why would you want to get stuck with rent or mortgage when you've got such a sweet deal down here?"

"Well…it just feels like it's time for me to leave, ya know?"

He paused in his work, but didn't look over at her. Instead, he dabbed the brush he was using into the faded mug of water he had set aside on the newspaper-shroud coffee table, then looked back and forth between his selection of colors and the painting in a silent debate over how to proceed next. He pondered over his words too before continuing his line of thought both out loud and on the canvas.

"You had a gut feeling when it was time to stretch your legs, right?"

"Well…yeah, I guess I did." Sara laughed, shaking her head like she still thought what he wanted to do was crazy. "But, that's different! I'm restless, I like to stay on the move. But I'm going to be honest here, if I had an awesome secret rent-free and off-grid hidey-hole like this, I'd never want to give up! Even with my horrible wanderlust!"

Mikey chuckled at that. "I can totally get why you'd feel that way."

"So, why not just stay here then?"

"Because…well…" It was really hard for him to say it out loud. "Because I don't really feel like I belong here anymore." A horrible guilt creeped in on him as he finally made that confession, and he couldn't help wondering how it would have made Splinter feel if he had ever admitted that to his father while he was still alive. "…I haven't for a long time, honestly."

Michelangelo finally looked away from his in-progress painting, and his eyes swept over the home he had lived in his entire life. Unconsciously, his gaze shifted to Renet suckling at her mother's breast, and that urge to leave just ensnared him even more. "I don't want her to grow up here."

He looked down at the color selection again, dabbing at one of the orange hues and applying it to the canvas. "Don't get me wrong. This place was awesome for my family and I back in the day, and I know we were lucky to have it…but, well…"

The fact of the matter was, like all parents, he wanted Renet to have everything he didn't have when he was growing up.

He wanted her to experience what it's like to have sunshine flowing through her windows all year round, and enjoy feeling a fresh breeze blowing into her room during the warm seasons. He wanted her to go to school, and have friends to hang out with. He wanted her to have a yard to play in; jumping into piles of leaves in the autumn months, and building snowmen and snow forts in the winter. He wanted her to have the luxury of seeing beautiful sunrises and sunsets every day, and to see that gorgeous starry sky above them at night that he loved so much.

Living in the Lair growing up was a necessity, but it wasn't a necessity anymore. He didn't want to trap his daughter down there. He didn't want to rob her of the lifestyle and opportunities he didn't get to have until his mid-teens.

"This place was a kind of prison too. I mean, it's totally rad! I get why you think it's awesome. It freaking looks like some secret hideout from one of those fun kids movies from the 80s or 90s, but…as rad as it is…it's still, to me anyway, a prison all the same. And I don't want that for her!"

"I guess I never thought about it that way." Sara sat up a little, mindful of the baby nestled against her chest. Then her eyes swept across the Lair again, and she realized just about how truly restrictive it must have been to live down there. Being forced to stay hidden in the shadows for so many years, with the rest of the world bustling above their heads without the slightest notion of their existence. It suddenly dawned on her how lonely and isolating that must have been for them.

A shudder ran down Sara's spine. It made her feel claustrophobic just thinking about it! No wonder Mikey was such a passionate extrovert! "Was it hard? Living in solitude for so many years?"

The turtle shrugged, his attention back on the painting. "We had each other, and the occasional visits from Uncle Vincent with his son or Mouse tagging along. Most of the time we just kept ourselves preoccupied as much as we could. Donnie did a lot of reading and tinkering with stuff, Leo got heavily devoted to ninjutsu, and Raph worked out a lot."

"And you?"

Smirking, Michelangelo thought back on some of his own boredom-fueled antics. "Before I developed a passion for writing, I used to love pulling pranks on my brothers. It got me into trouble a couple of times, but it was so worth it!"

Sara giggled, nodding her head with amusement as she imagined what a younger and wilder Mikey would have been like. "Yup…yeah, I can totally see you raising hell for a few laughs if you were bored enough."

"Oh, you have no idea!" He laughed, twirling his paintbrush as he picked it up. "I told you I could be a bit of a brat sometimes!"

Sara's smile remained as she muttered a light 'yeah, sure' in response to the remark. Renet squirmed, done eating, and let out a little burp before snuggling closer for a nap. As the young mother drank in the sight of her infant daughter, she thought once more about what Mikey had just told her. The carefree smile faltered, becoming a slightly somber frown. "But…yeah, I get it now. Why you want to get the heck out of here so bad. I don't want that kind of suffocating home life for Renet either."

Michelangelo shot her a grateful expression, and then stepped back to admire his handiwork on the partially-composed painting. He liked how it was coming out so far, but it was missing something. "There aren't enough clouds."

From her spot on the couch, Sara watched him add in a couple of cotton candy-like fluffs. She enthusiastically gave him a thumbs up of approval when he finished and stepped aside for her to get a look at the piece.

"So," Mikey said as he plopped his paint brush into its designated water mug, "how are the New York City suburbs?"

* * *

**Thursday May 30th, 2024**

"Well, would you look at that! She's already starting to try out walking, huh?"

Mikey beamed with fatherly pride in response to Alex's remark. He was holding his daughter's tiny hands in his own, and was helping her take a few wobbly steps across the carpeted floor. There was an impatience in her demeanor, one the young father recognized as an eagerness for independence, and so, he released her. Straightening up, he watched her gleefully stumble forward on her own. "She'll be running around the Lair before I know it!"

Renet reached her destination, the arm chair that sat closest to the TV, and let out a delighted laugh of accomplishment. She bounced a little on her unstable legs for a few seconds, but quickly set her sights on a new target. With a screech that only sounds adorable coming from a toddler, she made a waddled run for the coats hanging on the wall behind them by the door.

Not entirely used to her own feet yet, however, Renet ended up losing her balance. She fell backward and landed on her cushioned bottom with a crinkly whump; flummoxed by her failure, she gazed over at her father and whimpered a little to express her disappointment.

Alex laughed as Michelangelo darted over and helped her up again, watching with amusement as the baby immediately made another attempt for the coats once she was on her feet again. "That'll probably be sooner than you think, kiddo! She's a little firecracker, that one!"

"I must be rubbing off on her then," Mikey chuckled as he quickly caught her and carried her over to the arm chair so he could sit down. "Dad used to say, affectionately of course, that I was a handful in my own toddlerdom, not that that was surprising to hear!"

He glanced at Alex and noticed the bittersweet expression on the elderly man's face. "What's wrong?"

"Watching your little one makes me think of my own daughter…"

Michelangelo had almost forgotten that Alex had a kid.

"I wasn't there for her when she was growing up," the man said regretfully. The shame he felt over that fact was loud and clear in his tone, and he hung his head a little as he continued. "I didn't have a relationship with her at all until she was heading off to college."

"But, you've got a good relationship with her now. Right?"

Alex sighed and cast a glance over at the bookshelf that stood across from them on the left side of his ancient TV. He had several framed photographs on display across the top of it, but only one featured the daughter in question. "Because of how far away she lives, we only meet a couple of times a year; for her birthday and her son's birthday. Sure, we've become friends since we first started to get to know one another, and I do love her…but to this day I still feel like I'm not really a father to her."

Nodding, feeling sympathetic for the old man, Mikey's eyes lingered on the lonely photograph for a second longer before flickering back down to his own daughter sitting contently in his lap. He wondered if Splinter had felt this way about missing out on raising Karai.

"I know I can't really speak for your daughter," he said quietly, hoping to ease the man's mind a little, "…but my dad and sister kinda went through something similar. Although, it was admittedly more of a soap opera kind of deal-e-o with the two of them." He chuckled nervously, realizing immediately that his attempt to lighten the mood probably wasn't having the desired effect. "That's not the point though! The point is, I know for a fact that Karai was so happy to have him back her in life again when they finally met. She loved him just as much as she would have if he had been the one to raise her. So, I'd like to think that your daughter would feel that way too."

"That's a nice thought…" Alex's eyes stayed fixated on the photograph for a moment longer, then he coughed in an awkward and fake sort of way before finally looking away. He seemed eager to change topics. "So, uh, word through the old cabbie grapevine is that you're dropping the hunt for a new place, huh?"

Mikey accepted the abrupt shift in their discussion with stride. He let Renet squirm out of his arms, and kept a watchful eye on her as she began another wobbly trek across the rug. Her new target was the TV, there was a gameshow on that the two adults were only half paying attention to that had snagged her attention. "Yeah, it's been a bummer. None of the places I've checked out so far have what I'm looking for."

He had started the search a couple of months ago, not long after Renet's first birthday. With Sara back on the road, behind the wheels of her shiny new tiny house, he felt like it was time to finally act on his desire to leave and find a new place to call his own. So far, the search was coming up empty. It was getting to a point where he was beginning to think he ought to throw in the towel for a few months and try again when the market became more bountiful for buyers again.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that, kiddo." The elderly man got up off the couch, bending down to pick up the tray of cheese and crackers from the coffee table to put them away.

"You want me to take care of that for you?" Mikey asked as he began to rise from his own seat.

"Nah, I've got it."

Michelangelo sat back down and watched his friend slowly venture back into the kitchen, hoping he didn't offend him with his offer. Alex was a little testy about needing help from anyone with anything, especially if when it came to simple tasks. The mutant suspected it was because everyone had gone a little overboard to lend a hand when the retired cab driver had been recovering from his hip surgery the year before.

"Don't let the failed search get you down," Alex's voice rang from the kitchen. There was a clatter from the cheese plate being put into the fridge, followed shortly by the sound of a cupboard door clanking shut once the crackers were put away. "You'll find what you're looking for eventually!"

"Yeah, I know."

Mikey just hoped that he'd have better luck the next time around.

* * *

**Saturday July 11th, 2026**

It was a perfectly perfect day as far as everyone was concerned. A pleasant breeze gently brushed against the people who were outside enjoying the weather, and the sun beamed brightly in the sky above them all. Specifically, above April and Chu Hsu's backyard. Gathered there stood a group of partygoers, young and old, who were loudly hooting and hollering with excitement as they watched the birthday girl make several attempts to smash the piñata that dangled above her head.

The girl in question, however, was not sharing their joy. If anything, she was beginning to become frustrated by her lack of success. Swinging the bat again, she frowned sourly after failing to hit her mark for what felt like the dozenth time.

The beginnings of a pout crept onto Donna's face, but it was chased away just as fast when she heard her Uncle Mikey shout out that he knew she could do it. His words had a soothing effect on her, the kind of calm he always seemed to radiate, and then an epiphany introduced itself. A reminder of a lesson that both her uncle and her mother had tried to teach her not too long ago.

After a beat, the little girl lowered her bat in a more relaxed manner. Standing perfectly still, frowning with concentration rather than annoyance, she let out a soothing breath before inhaling deeply. Holding it. Listening. Until finally, with a cry that was as ferocious as a seven-year-old could possibly sound, she swung again. Curving her bat upward at just the right moment.

Her mother and uncle had taught her well.

The sound of the bat successfully smashing into its intended target was impressively loud, and candy exploded out of the freshly caved-in section of the piñata like blood from an open wound. Donna smirked in response to the excited screams from her peers as she ripped off her blindfold, and she joined the mob of children in their mad dash to greedily snatch up whatever they could carry.

"No shoving!" April yelled out through the open kitchen window. She had briefly paused in her search for the birthday candles to observe her daughter's victory, and with an annoyed huff she began the search again just as Michelangelo walked through the patio doorway. "Mikey, you didn't see the candles earlier, did you?"

"Nah, sorry, Ape!"

"I could have sworn we bought some when we did the grocery shopping Thursday night, but I can't find them anywhere!"

"Do you want me to do a quick shopping run for them?" Mikey asked as he pulled out his car keys. "It looks like we're starting to run low on those disposable cups."

"Yeah, I noticed that too. Knew I should have bought more than that!" April did one last sweep through the kitchen cabinets and drawers, then gave him a nod. "If you don't mind….?"

He was already halfway to the front door, "I'll be back before you know it!"

The trip to the closest convenience store was a quick one. He was browsing through the aisles, looking for suitable birthday candles, when he got the text from April letting him know that she had finally found the ones she had bought the other day. With an apology popping up next, she asked if he could still grab more of the disposable cups while he was there. They weren't in danger of running out at that very moment, and might not run out at all, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

" _ **No problemo**_ ," he texted back with a smilie face after it. " _ **Do you need anything else?"**_

" _ **A big bottle of moscato wine would be nice! XD"**_

Laughing, Michelangelo sent back a thumbs up emoji and looked around for the cups. A few minutes later he was in the nearby liquor store to grab the requested wine. Thinking to himself, as he scanned through the selection of brands, that it would be nice to sit outside by the fire later that night and enjoy a glass or two after the children were asleep. He knew the kids would be tuckered out from the excitement of the day. He certainly was!

As he walked back to the car, he found himself admiring the weather. By the time he placed the key in the ignition, a strong desire to simply take a drive washed over him. So, instead of heading straight for April's house after that, he impulsively decided to take a little detour. The cups weren't needed that urgently, so he didn't see the harm in satisfying his sudden need to do a little exploring. There were still a few areas of Northampton that he knew he hadn't gotten a peek at yet, and one road in particular pinged in his mind begging to be driven down. It wasn't too far away. He remembered how it had snagged his attention the first time he visited April after their reunion the year before, but he had never had the opportunity to check it out since then. Until now, that is.

It didn't take long to find again.

Michelangelo was immediately intrigued when he caught a glimpse of the For Sale sign planted firmly in the grass at the end of the dead-end street. Feeling a flutter of curious excitement stir within him, he made the turn. The road was an old one, probably one of the oldest in the town, and the houses situated on it were scattered and few. As he drove, he began to wonder if he had accidently passed by the advertised house, until another sign appeared ahead of him with an arrow to indicate it was just a little bit further ahead. Encouraging him to continue onward; until, at last, one last driveway branched off of the street with one more real estate sign placed right at the end to confirm this was what he had driven down there for.

The driveway was narrow, long, and unpaved, and for the briefest of moments he hesitated on making the turn onto it. His second-guessing was swiftly snuffed out a moment later when he spotted an old red barn through the tree branches, and just beyond that the glittering water of the pond behind it. He couldn't see the house yet, but he needed to now. With another flick of the turn signal, he guided the wheel and slowly drove his car down the bumpy dirt driveway.

"Oh….no way…"

He had seen this house before.

Two old post fences, worn by time but still in good shape, lined both sides of the driveway that led up to the old white cottage-style house. A cobblestone path wove its way from the door on enclosed porch on the right side of the house, continued across the slightly wild front lawn, and then came to a stop in front of the gate for the fenced-in gardens that took up a significant amount of the yard on the left side of the property. From what he could see of them from the car, it looked like there were three lined up together. Equal in size; one appeared to consist solely of vegetables, the middle one a variety of herbs, and the last was filled with a beautiful array of pretty flowers whose scents wafted through the air and brought a smile to his face.

Parking the car, Mikey got out and simply stared at the picturesque property before him. Then, almost as if he were in a trance, he slowly ventured forward. Getting a better view of the large pond down the hill behind the house, and remembering how pretty it looked under the moonlight.

"Everything here is as beautiful as it looked in my dreams…."

"You can't ask for a better sign than that!" A frail, warm voice chirped from his left.

Startled, Michelangelo looked over at the gardens again to see an elderly woman standing in the middle of the flowers. The gloves she wore were encased in dirt, and the basket she was carrying was full of uprooted weeds. She smiled brightly at him as she stepped out onto the cobblestones.

"I didn't mean to scare you, dear."

"It's okay," Mikey replied sheepishly as she began to cross the yard towards him. "Actually, I should be apologizing. I know I should have called ahead for an appointment, but-"

The kind woman held up a hand as she came to a stop in front of him, her eyes were full of cheer. "That's quite alright, no harm has been done. Besides, I enjoy having company. Even with this old house for sale, I don't get many visitors. Come along with me, I've got some lemon cake leftover from the other day. I'll brew up some tea to go with it, and we can have a nice chat."

Without another word, she gestured for him to follow her to the house. Her slow pace and slight limp made him think of Alex as he trailed a respectable distance behind her, not wanting to crowd her or make her feel uncomfortable. He watched her toss the collected weeds from her basket into the metal trash can beside the door, which he realized was for composting, and then the two of them made their way up the trio of crumbling cement steps.

"Wipe your shoes off, please!" She called over her shoulder. With a creak, the inner door, what was presumably the original entrance for the house before the porch had been added on, opened and she waved him inside.

The kitchen was tiny, but it felt very welcoming to Michelangelo as he took a seat at the small round table that was waiting for him. He watched the elderly woman shuffle around the counter that stood between the dining area and the rest of the kitchen; then, when she had her back turned to him, he let his curious eyes wander.

To his left, pressed up against the wall, was a large hutch which proudly displayed summer-themed china and cute little porcelain and clay knick-knacks. It was flanked by a short hallway on one side, which led to what he guessed was the living room, and a door on the other side that led down to the basement. Across from him, squeezed into a little nook, stood the washing machine whose partnered dryer sat out on the enclosed porch. Beside it was two closed doors, bedrooms perhaps, which brought his eyes back the quaint little cooking area.

It wasn't a lot of space, but the pleasant hominess of it all made up for that. He imagined making cookies with Renet in this kitchen someday, and smiled. This was it. For the first time in years, he finally felt like he was home.

"Do you care for any sugar or cream in your tea?"

The growing smell of earl grey teased his senses, and he shook his head no as his host placed one of the mugs she had carried over in front of him. "I'll take it black, thanks." He knew the lemon cake would be sweet enough to counteract the bitterness of the tea. "I'm surprised this place hasn't been snatched up yet."

"Perhaps it was waiting for you." The woman replied wisely, reminding him strongly of his father. "You did, after all, dream about it." Slicing a piece of the delicious looking cake, she handed him his plate and then settled down into the chair across from him. "I've read stories about people having intuitive dreams, but never met anyone who experienced it before. Does it happen to you often?"

"No. I've only had dreams about this place. And, man, it's just…wild to actually be here in real life!" Michelangelo looked out the window, the barn caught his eye and he pointed at it. "I mean, even the paint's peeling in the same spots!"

He told her about the dreams he had had, feeling a little emotional as he did so. Then she, in turn, gave him the history of the place. Shuffling away from the table at one point to duck into one of the rooms that connected to the kitchen, she returned a moment later with a couple of thick, heavy photo albums in her arms. Three generations of her family had lived there, and it made him feel a little sad that she had been left alone for so long after her grown children moved out and her husband passed away.

He wondered if she felt the same empty disconnection to the house that he felt towards the Lair?

"None of my children were interested in moving in," she explained with a sigh as she closed the second album. "Their interests and careers took them a long way away from here. I'll be moving in with my daughter down in Florida once this place is sold."

"Is it going to bother you, knowing some stranger's going to be living here after you've gone?"

She gave him a kind look with a knowing smile. "I've always been a good judge of character." She reached over and pat his hand, winking at him. "I have faith that you will love and cherish this home as much as my family and I have over the years."

Mikey smiled back. "You won't be disappointed."

In the cozy little kitchen, sipping tea and savoring the soft tart-yet-sweet cake, an understanding was reached between the pair. While everything would be officially finalized on paper a few days later, Michelangelo already felt like he had bought the place. And as he drove away from the quaint house, he looked in his review mirror and let out an ecstatic laugh.

"Where did you wander off to?" April asked him when he finally returned to her house with the plastic cups and wine that he was supposed to bring back an hour before. "I was getting worried about you!"

With a twinkle in his eye, the mutant placed his purchases on the kitchen counter. "So, do you remember that dream I told you about? The one with the house?..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this chapter took so long to get uploaded! I really hope it lived up to readers expectations!
> 
> I'd like to give a huge shout out to Jay and TaffyJuice here on AO3 for taking the time to express your feelings about my story. I know I've said it already, but I still can't thank you two enough for your feedback!
> 
> Hugs and kisses to you two, as well as to everyone who's left kudos so far! It really brightens my day when I get that notification email! :)


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